This Easter, we are encouraging our animal-loving community to make forest-friendly choices when buying chocolate products. 

Perth Zoo has joined Zoos and Aquariums across Australia and New Zealand to celebrate companies that use Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) across their Easter product range. 

Palm oil is an ingredient found in many supermarket products like biscuits, toothpaste, makeup and of course, chocolate. 

To meet the growing demand, palm oil is being farmed using unsustainable practices and has resulted in healthy, old-growth rainforests being bulldozed at an alarming rate and replaced with plantations.  

Heartbreakingly, this leaves many species, including Orangutans, Asian Elephants, Sumatran Tigers and Gibbons, without safe habitat and destroys precious eco-systems. 

Without habitat, wildlife are forced to compete for dwindling, scarce resources and become more vulnerable to the illegal trade in wildlife . 

Perth Zoo Primate Supervisor, Holly Thompson, said: “It’s important to remember that palm oil itself is not the enemy, in fact, it’s a good resource when farmed in a sustainable way. 

“It’s terrifying to think that some species impacted, like our beloved orangutans, are at risk of becoming extinct within a generation because of this human impact. 

“Life in the wild is difficult for these animals as they constantly have to compete for resources and face destroyed habitats, so every little thing we do – like simply picking the most forest-friendly brand of Easter treat – can go a long way.”

Perth Zoo supports Zoos Victoria’s ‘Don’t Palm Us Off’ campaign, which advocates for a future where palm oil is specifically labelled. 

This Easter, use this helpful guide to help you choose the treats that taste delicious and are helping build a brighter future for wildlife. 

Learn more here.