4 January 2010 - Santa Monica, CA. The Orang Utan Republik Foundation (OURF) joins other orangutan organizations in mourning the death of Lucy Wisdom, Founder of the Sumatran Orangutan Society (SOS) following a lengthy battle with cancer. She passed away peacefully during the evening of December 19, 2009, surrounded by family and friends, and was laid to rest in Epping, England, earlier today. Lucy was 53.

"Lucy was a wonderful free spirit who, as a layperson, jumped into orangutan conservation in the mid-1990s", said Dr. Gary Shapiro, President of OURF. "She loved orangutans, understood their crisis, and made it her mission to help save the Sumatran species."  

In a 2009 interview with the Jakarta Post, Wisdom admitted that breast cancer was an inspiration for her to begin volunteering with orangutans in 1994 at the Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center in North Sumatra. After repeated visits to the Center, Wisdom sought support from other people and groups. She then took the bold move of beginning SOS in 1996. 

Wisdom crafted SOS's mission which is dedicated to conserving the Sumatran orangutan and their forest habitat by raising awareness and funds in support of grassroots education and conservation projects in Sumatra. She received accolades for her commitment to SOS's mission including UK's Women in Ethical Business Award in 2008.

SOS has grown to become an important orangutan conservation organization with offices in Sumatra and Bali and supporting chapters in the UK, USA, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand. In 2001, Wisdom created the Orangutan Information Center, SOS's field branch based in Medan, Sumatra. She encouraged local Indonesians to take leadership roles in the OIC and their various field projects. These include orangutan guide training, community tree planting, community education, tree nurseries, rehabilitation of degraded forest zones, and competitive scholarships.

The Orang Utan Republik Education Initiative (now OURF) has partnered with SOS-OIC on a variety of projects including the Orangutan Caring Scholarships, delivery of education curricula to schools and villages, and support of their Road Show outreach program to villagers.

Lucy Wisdom's legacy will carry on through SOS's many programs and the Lucy Wisdom Fund. For more information, visit www.orangutans-sos.org

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