Purchasing Safe Halloween Candy...for Orangutans!

Laura Bottaro, Mammal Curator at the Oklahoma City Zoo and TSF Board Member has a great idea for a safe Halloween...

Did you know that most candy is made with palm oil? Most of that palm oil is harvested from the same ecosystem that orangutans, Sumatran rhinos, tigers and elephants depend on for survival. This year, when you are choosing which Halloween candy to buy please choose candy made by a company that is a member of the RSPO (Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil) and are committed to using certified sustainable palm oil. You can visit this link below to see a list of snack names and companies that are doing their best to make a difference for these endangered animals:

Copy and paste link into your browser:
http://www.cmzoo.org/docs/palmOilCandyGuide2010.pdf

Have a safe Halloween and make it safe for animals too!

Giraffe facts

A Giraffe is the tallest of all living land mammals

A Giraffe stands while sleeping.

Each Giraffe has its own unique pattern of coat markings.

The Giraffe has seven neck vertebrae like a human, despite its long neck.

Giraffes are well known for their long necks, long legs, and spotted patterns. Giraffes have small "horns" or knobs on top of their heads that grow to be about five inches long. These knobs are used to protect the head in fights.

Male giraffes are larger than females. Males weigh between 2,400 and 3,000 pounds and stand up to 19 feet tall! Female giraffes weigh between 1,600 and 2,600 pounds and grow to be 16 feet tall.

Giraffes live in the savannas of Africa, where they roam freely among the tall trees, arid land, dense forests and open plains.

Student birds ready to learn.

Hey our first visitors / volunteers to our land in Africa. It’s the property of the Living School project.

Panda bear rocking!

Our friend and supporter Lisa Beagles Jeanetta thought everyone would love this photo.

Jennifer (TSF Volunteer) cuddling with the lions.

Cuddling with the lions:
While I was working in a refugee camp in Zambia I took a short vacation in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. I’m a cat person and one of my dreams has always been to cuddle with a lion. There, they have an animal sanctuary where they take in orphaned animals, including lions. One of the ways that this organization funds itself is by charging tourists to spend an afternoon on an elephant back safari, or better, spend an afternoon hanging out with the lions. The program is called “Lion Encounter,” and that was exactly what it was. I literally got to cuddle with lions. As a note, anyone who is allergic to house cats will find they are probably also allergic to lions, so don’t forget to take your Claritin!