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TWO orang utans from the Singapore Zoo had a free ride on the Singapore Flyer yesterday as part of a drive to raise awareness of the plight of these primates.
Chomel, the fifth granddaughter of former zoo icon Ah Meng which died in February, and Merlin, a four-year-old Bornean orang utan, took the first spin of the wheel yesterday.
Accompanied by their handlers, the two orang utans kept gazing out of the capsule at the sights of Singapore's Central Business District throughout the 30-minute tour.
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Both the Sumatran and Bornean orang utans live in rainforests and are threatened by habitat destruction, forest fires and poaching for the illegal pet trade.
It is estimated that there are 55,000 Bornean orang utans, and only 7,500 Sumatran orang utans, left in the wild. This makes the Sumatran species critically endangered.
To highlight the plight of orang utans, Singapore Flyer and the Singapore Zoo will hold wildlife conservation themed events for children every weekend from 2pm to 4pm from tomorrow to June 30.
The above article was published in The Straits Times on June 12, 2008.
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