Orang-utan Conservation Genetics Project, Inc., The

The University of Wisconsin-Madison received this award, which was later transferred to The Orang-utang Conservations Genetics Project. They will collaborate with a consortium of 24 zoos, zoological associations, academic institutions, and industry groups, and lead a global orangutan genomic study to fully understand threats to their sustainability such as interbreeding between orangutan species and inbreeding due to the previous lack of DNA data. The project will involve collecting and analyzing genetic samples from approximately 950 orangutans in living collections worldwide, leading to the development and initial implementation of a global species management plan for orangutans. The project activities will generate publicly available research data about the global orangutan population and a plan for their long-term global management, helping ensure the continued sustainability of orangutans.