GULF BREEZE, Fla. (WKRG) — The Gulf Breeze Zoo recently got six orangutans in January, and now, these intelligent apes might just help save endangered apes in the wild with their painting skills.
The Gulf Breeze Zoo is raffling off artwork painted by all six of its orangutans: Brandee, Loui, Indah, Sara, Maggie, and Artie. Their pictures are included in the painting.
Each ape painted with a different color on canvas, so those who enter the raffle can see which ape waited which stroke on the painting.
It costs $5 to enter the raffle.
The funds raised from the raffle will go towards restoring a wild habitat for the critically endangered Sumatran Orangutans in Sumatra. The orangutan population in the wild has decreased by about 97% in the last century.
“This is really focused on saving the forest of Sumatra, so we’ll be able to save all sorts of animals, besides just the orangutans, like the leopards, the gibbons … and the elephants and the rhinos, too,” said Katy Massey, the zoo’s conservation coordinator. “You guys get to potentially win a really cool prize and the orangutans get to win a more secure future.”
The orangutans at the zoo were treated on a hot National Orangutan Day Monday to frozen Gatorades.
You can buy a raffle ticket to potentially win their painting at the zoo or online at its website.
