Wolfgang Joop becomes a sponsor of Orangutan Brenda 

It’s been official since the 1st of September: Wolfgang Joop has committed himself once again to the protection of animals in now the sponsor of the young Orangutan Brenda.

“I am the grandfather of five grandchildren, and now another child has been added,” says Wolfgang Joop, who has already been engaged in the well-being of animals as a patron of the Potsdam Animal Shelter for two years. He has long held a special fascination for monkeys: Whether in pictures or in the form of sculptures, they are often a part of his art as a symbol of closeness, affection and sociability.

The sponsorship came about through the Leipzig-based organization Orang-Utans in Not e.V. The organization works with the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP) on the Indonesian island of Sumatra - the only island besides Borneo where orangutans are still found.

Brenda was found in 2019 as a young orangutan at an estimated age of just under four months old. A farmer on Sumatra was illegally keeping her as a pet. She was taken to the sanctuary in Batu Mbelin near the city of Medan with a broken arm and had to undergo surgery - a challenge to perform on such a small orangutan - but for Brenda, the procedure went well.

In the time since, she has nearly reached the age of two and is doing well among other animals of the same age at the rescue center. She and her fellow orangutans are still among the most endangered species on our planet. The deforestation of the rainforest, mostly to make way for palm oil plantations, is causing a massive and ongoing reduction of their habitat. Orangutans are hunted, kept as pets or sold on the black market.

If you would like to help, you can find more information on the Orang-Utans in Not e.V. website.