This is Cruz, a white retriever at Action for Singapore Dogs’ (ASD) Action and Rescue Centre (ARC). Poor Cruz’s been abandoned twice. Now he sits quietly in his corner, watching you with his soulful eyes. Would you adopt him? Cruz and many other ASD dogs had their cheeky portraits done by TabCo’s photographer Chung. The Book will be launch in 2013 so watch this space!

The Tripa Peat Swamps is burning at the hands of palm oil companies and it needs your help to stop the fires. Please take urgent action today, sign and share the petition calling for immediate action to stop the destruction of Tripa, for a full investigation into all of the companies operating illegally and to revoke all of the permits!

Spread the petition far and wide, never underestimate the power of your friends!!http://www.change.org/savetripa
For donations go to http://www.sumatranorangutan.org/content-n51-sE.html

“Tripa is home to the highest population density of Orangutans found anywhere on earth” Said Dr Ian Singleton, Conservation Director of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program.”

“In 1990 we estimate there was almost 2000 Orangutans in the Tripa Peat forest, and now today it could be less than 200 due to the ongoing and often illegal clearance of forest through the conversion to palm oil plantations. Satellite imagery obtained shows over 1500 hectares of conversion in the last 6 months in Tripa alone, and our ground team has reported ongoing fires and illegal activity of operations in palm oil concessions despite a central government investigation into their behavior.”

More about the Tripa Peat Swamps – The three remaining coastal peat swamp forests of Aceh, namely Tripa, Kluet and Singkil, are among the most precious natural habitats in the world. They harbour the highest orangutan densities in the world and about 30% of the remaining 6,600 Critically Endangered Sumatran orangutans. They represent vital biological corridors linking the Indian ocean to the dryland rainforests of the rest of the Leuser Ecosystem and the Gunung Leuser National Park, that sits within it (itself a Man and Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site).

These coastal forests also constitute an effective barrier against natural disasters, such as Tsunamis, and play a crucial role in sustainable local livelihoods. Furthermore, peat swamp forests store huge amounts of carbon, both in the above ground vegetation, but also below ground, in the deep peat layers, and their destruction contributes significantly to global climate change. Despite these many assets, two thirds of the Tripa peat swamp forest have already been logged for palm oil plantations. (Source: SOCP)

TabCo traveled to Medan, Indonesia, to create an e-poster campaign to save the Tripa Peat Swamps. The campaign is in partnership with the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), http://endoftheicons.wordpress.com/ . The three remaining coastal peat swamp forests of Aceh, Indonesia, namely Tripa, Kluet and Singkil, are among the most precious natural habitats in the world. They harbour the highest orangutan densities in the world and about 30% of the remaining 6,600 Critically Endangered Sumatran orangutans.

On the morning of shoot day 01, we broke the bridge leading into SOCP’s quarantine centre while our vehicle was about to cross. We are blaming it on the really good nasi padang we had for breakfast. The TabCo crew had to trek the final few kilometres with all our equipment. All was good on shoot day 02, as the bridge was repaired , but this time we started our day with a smaller breakfast’! While at SOCP’s quarantine centre, we got a chance to witness Dr Anastascia insert a radio chip into an orangutan for tracking purposes. The TabCo team even to track down Pak Daniel and his troops! – This farmer takes his pet monkey, dog and pig for joy rides. Check out the above photos!