Choose eggs-tra carefully!

DZG is urging people to think eggs-tra carefully when buying sweet treats this Easter and say no to palm oil.

Concerned keepers at Dudley Zoo say many chocolate eggs contain unsustainable palm oil which devastates the habitats of wild cousins of our two Sumatran tigers and four Bornean orangs.

They say we should check the ingredients labels when shopping for Easter eggs and steer clear of palm oil.

Produced in tropical rainforests, palm oil can be found in foodstuffs, cosmetics, cleaning materials and fuel but in recent years millions of hectares of rainforest have been destroyed – in Malaysia, Indonesia and West Africa – to make way for palm oil plantations, causing major habitat loss.

DZG Conservation Officer, Chris Leeson, said: “We are encouraging people to help conserve wildlife as they shop this Easter.

“Around 50 per cent of all products in supermarkets contain palm oil and habitat destruction for palm oil plantations is pushing many animals to the brink of extinction.

“By choosing to go palm oil free or opting for sustainably sourced products, we can help conserve the habitat of wild cousins of our Sumatran tigers, Bornean orangs and the soon-to-arrive binturong.”

Senior Primate Keeper Jodie Dryden contacted Easter egg manufacturers to ask which were palm oil free and our neighbouring supermarket Tesco has kindly donated a selection of them which we’re putting up as prizes.

A range of palm oil free eggs, family passes for Go Ape! high ropes attraction and cuddly apes will be made into two hampers which can be won on Ape Awareness Day, on April 2, when staff will be highlighting the plight apes face in the wild.

We’ll be raffling off the two hampers at stands outside the chimp enclosure and in the Castle courtyard and will be raising awareness and money for the Centre for Great Ape Conservation.