Ernest Zacharevic Carves Huge SOS Distress Call for Endangered Orangutans
Only 14,600 orangutans thrive in the Sumatra wild.
Environmental activist and artist Ernest Zacharevic carved a humongous SOS distress call into 20 hectares of palm oil plantation land in Sumatra. The man-made intervention is part of Zacharevic’s ongoing Splash and Burn initiative that aims to raise awareness for endangered orangutans in the region. A total of only 14,600 orangutans currently remain in Sumatra.
In collaboration with the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS), the land used for the artist’s carving was purchased with the proceeds collected via the #SOSsumatra campaign. More precisely, through the immediate sale of 14,600 limited edition soaps produced by cosmetics retailer Lush, each soap symbolizing the scarce number of orangutans living in Sumatra.
“I wanted to communicate the magnitude of the problem to a wider audience as well as provide a creative outlook, hope, and inspiration to local communities and conservationists,” said Zacharevic in a statement. “‘Save Our Souls’ is a message communicated to those at a distance, a reminder of the connectedness we share with nature.”
Get a closer look at the campaign by watching the video above and then visit the Sumatran Orangutan Society’s official website to learn more.
