World Wildlife Day 2022

According to data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, over 8,400 species of wild fauna and flora are critically endangered, while close to 30,000 more are understood to be endangered or vulnerable. Based on these estimates, it is suggested that over a million species are threatened with extinction.

Continued loss of species, habitats and ecosystems also threatens all life on Earth, including us. People everywhere rely on wildlife and biodiversity-based resources to meet all our needs, from food, to fuel, medicines, housing, and clothing. Millions of people also rely on nature as the source of their livelihoods and economic opportunities.

In 2022, World Wildlife Day will therefore drive the debate towards the imperative need to reverse the fate of the most critically endangered species, to support the restoration of their habitats and ecosystems and to promote their sustainable use by humanity.

Orangutan Appeal UK is dedicated to the preservation of the critically endangered orangutan by supporting projects that are essential in orangutan conservation. Working closely with Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre we help to rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned, displaced and injured orangutans back to their natural habitat. As well as supporting projects that aim to preserve their precious rainforest home.

Hundreds of orangutans have been given a second chance of life, thanks to dedicated staff at Sepilok, and the donations our supporters have given towards this vital cause. Beryl is one of many success stories at the centre. She was found on a plantation crying for her mother who never came back. Rescued at 12 months old to begin a new life at Sepilok. Now aged 11, and having successfully completed her rehabilitation, she lives free in the rainforest.

Today on World Wildlife Day we are celebrating working together to protect our precious wildlife.