#africanelephant — Public Fediverse posts

African Savannah Elephants Use ‘Names’ to Communicate

New research reveals that African savannah #elephants use unique, ‘names’ to call one another, showcasing their incredible intelligence and deep social bonds. Unlike other animals, these majestic creatures communicate with non-imitative calls, highlighting their advanced cognitive abilities. This discovery opens new doors to understanding the evolution of language and cognition in animals. Dive into the fascinating world of elephant communication! 🐘🌍✨ They face many threats to their survival, help them to survive when you #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/6K3_rqhRiL4

🐘✨ Elephants know each other by name! Exciting new #research reveals African savannah #elephants use unique name-like calls to communicate, showcasing their incredible intelligence, deep social bonds. @palmoildetect #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌍💚 https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8we

🐘🔍 Groundbreaking #research #study shows #elephants don’t just trumpet—they call each other by name! These majestic creatures have complex social lives and advanced #cognition. Help them to survive when you #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🐾🌿https://wp.me/pcFhgU-8we

In a groundbreaking 2024 study, researchers have discovered that African savannah elephants Loxodonta africana communicate with each other using unique name-like calls, similar to how humans use personal names. This discovery, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, places elephants among a rare group of animals known to use individual-specific vocalisations.

The Study and Its Findings

A team of international researchers employed artificial intelligence to analyse 469 rumbles—deep, low-frequency sounds—made by two herds of wild elephants in Kenya’s Amboseli National Park and Samburu National Reserve between 1986 and 2022. The AI model successfully identified the intended recipient of these calls 27.5% of the time, a rate significantly higher than random chance. This finding suggests that the elephants’ calls contain individual-specific information akin to names.

The study also involved playback experiments where recordings of these rumbles were played to the elephants. The subjects responded more rapidly and vocally to calls originally addressed to them compared to those directed at other elephants. This indicates that elephants can recognise and respond to their own ‘names’ even when the call is out of context.

Implications for Animal Communication and Cognition

Unlike dolphins and parrots, who call to each other by mimicking their sounds, elephants use unique, non-imitative calls. This discovery is significant as it suggests that elephants have a capacity for abstract thought and complex social cognition. The ability to use arbitrary sounds to label individuals is a trait shared with humans, highlighting the advanced cognitive abilities of elephants. In a fascinating example of interspecies communication (unrelated to the study) an orphaned baby elephant named Tsavo responds to his keeper calling his name at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya.

The findings also underscore the importance of social bonds among elephants. The need to call each other by name implies a sophisticated social structure and communication system. Understanding these communication patterns gives deeper insights into the evolution of language and cognition in both humans and animals.

Further Reading

• Pardo, M. A., Fristrup, K., Lolchuragi, D. S., Poole, J. H., Granli, P., Moss, C., Douglas-Hamilton, I., & Wittemyer, G. (2024). African elephants address one another with individually specific name-like calls. Nature Ecology & Evolution. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02420-w
• Agence France-Presse. (2024, June 11). Elephants call each other by name, study finds. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/jun/10/elephant-names-study-ai
• Perfetto, I. (2024, June 11). Elephants talk to each other using name-like calls! Cosmos Magazine. https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/hello-elephants-talk-to-each-other-using-name-like-calls/
• Pardo, M. (2024, June 12). African elephants address one another with name-like calls − similar to humans. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/african-elephants-address-one-another-with-name-like-calls-similar-to-humans-232096

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Southern Pudu Pudu puda

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Blue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata

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Blonde Capuchin Sapajus flavius

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Savage’s Glass Frog Centrolene savagei

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Pesquets Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus

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Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

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Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

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Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

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Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

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The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

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How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

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3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

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#AfricanElephant #AfricanForestElephantLoxodontaCyclotis #animalBehaviour #AnimalBiodiversityNews #animalCommunication #animalIntelligence #Bantrophyhunting #BorneanPygmyElephantElephasMaximusBorneensis #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #cognition #elephants #Mammal #research #study #SumatranElephantElephasMaximusSumatranus #WorldElephantDay

Large herbivores such as elephants contribute to tree diversity

A recent study using satellite data has highlighted the critical role that large herbivores play in promoting tree diversity in forest ecosystems. The research showed that areas with abundant large herbivores like elephants had more varied tree cover and more tree diversity. This finding underscores the importance of large herbivores in many ecosystems and that they should have primary importance in conservation strategies, particularly in the context of global efforts to combat climate change and extinction. Help big herbivores every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil and #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket!

Recent #research finds that lots of large #herbivores like #elephants 🦏🐘help plant #biodiversity in rainforests! Help big plant eaters and #plants to survive! 🐘🩶#Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife 🧐🪔⛔️ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB

Soulful #elephants 🐘💗 are not only intelligent, they add more tree cover and #tree diversity, finds this landmark #study. All #elephant species are threatened by #palmoil #deforestation and #poaching for ivory. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife 🌴🔥⛔ @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://wp.me/pcFhgU-7dB

Cover image credit: A Sumatran elephant enjoys a playful river dip, by Craig Jones Wildlife Photography

Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.

Maintaining species-rich and resilient ecosystems is key to preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Here, megafauna — the part of the animal population in an area that is made up of the largest animals — plays an important role. In a new study published in the scientific journal One Earth, an international research team, of which Lund University is a part, has investigated the intricate interplay between the number of voracious herbivores like elephants and the diversity of trees in the world’s protected areas.

“Our findings reveal a fascinating and complex story of how large herbivorous animals shape the world’s natural landscapes. The tree cover in these areas is sparser, but the diversity of the tree cover is much higher than in areas without large herbivores,” says Lanhui Wang, a researcher in physical geography and ecosystem science at Lund University.

“In our global analysis, we find a substantial association between the biomass of large herbivores and varied tree cover in protected areas, notably for browsers and mixed-feeders such as elephants, bison and moose and in non-extreme climates,” explains the study’s senior author, Jens-Christian Svenning, professor at Aarhus University.

Hereby, the study supports that large wild herbivores promote a diverse vegetation structure, creating a rich habitat for many other species. This is due to the animals’ consumption of vegetation as well as physical disturbances.

According to Lanhui Wang, these new research findings highlight the need to integrate large herbivores into restoration and conservation strategies. Not only for the sake of the animals themselves but also for the vital role they play in shaping landscapes and influencing biodiversity. The researchers argue that this aspect is not sufficiently considered within the framework of sustainable land management and ecosystem restoration.

“At a time when global initiatives are intensely focused on combating climate change and biodiversity loss, our findings highlight the need for a broader and more nuanced discussion about ecosystem management and conservation measures. It is of utmost importance to integrate understanding of the ecological impact of megafauna into this,” says Lanhui Wang.

The UN has declared the 2020s as the decade of ecosystem restoration. In total, 115 countries have agreed to restore up to 100,000 square kilometres of nature in total. To achieve this, more wild-living large herbivores are needed worldwide, says Lanhui Wang.

“I believe that we will need to protect and conserve large herbivores to achieve the UN goals. Megafauna are crucial for tree cover, which in turn promotes carbon sequestration and a diversity of habitats,” says Lanhui Wang.

Lanhui Wang, Joris P.G.M. Cromsigt, Robert Buitenwerf, Erick J. Lundgren, Wang Li, Elisabeth S. Bakker, Jens-Christian Svenning. Tree cover and its heterogeneity in natural ecosystems is linked to large herbivore biomass globally. One Earth, 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2023.10.007 Media release from Lund University. “Large herbivores such as elephants, bison and moose contribute to tree diversity.” ScienceDaily, 3 November 2023.

ENDS

Learn about other animals endangered by palm oil and other agriculture

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

Gursky’s Spectral Tarsier Tarsius spectrumgurskyae

Sunda Flying Lemur Galeopterus variegatus

Western Parotia Parotia sefilata

Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus

Mountain Tapir Tapirus pinchaque

Learn about “sustainable” palm oil greenwashing

Read more about RSPO greenwashing

A 2019 World Health Organisation (WHO) report into the palm oil industry and RSPO finds extensive greenwashing of palm oil deforestation and the murder of endangered animals (i.e. biodiversity loss)

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

Randomly selected image:
EMC_Phase1:Clipart/IFF/Animals/Foreign/Elephants/Elephant06.iff #Elephant #WorkingAnimal #Organism #ElephantsAndMammoths #IndianElephant #TerrestrialAnimal #AfricanElephant #Art #Snout #NaturalLandscape

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#tanzanie #saveelephants #wildlifephotography #bownaankamal #tarangirenationalpark #wildanimals #africanprint #safarilife #africanelephant #naturelovers #wildanimal #wildlife #thebigfive #elephantlovers #tarangire #exclusive_wildlife #natgeo #bekindtoelephants #nikon #natureseekers #wildlife_perfection #animalphotography #tanzaniasafari #natgeowild #wildlifeportrait #animals #wildlifeowners #wildnout

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Baby elephants stay very close to their mothers for the first couple of months. The calves drink their mother's milk for about two years, sometimes longer. They drink up to 3 gallons of milk a day!
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🐘 Masai Mara | Kenya
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#wildnout #masaimaranationalpark #majestic_wildlife_ #wildlife #wildliveplanet #africa #wildglobe #wildlife_inspired #animals #live_love_wildlife #africanelephant #africanwildlife #allnatureshots #bestwildlifephotography

Baby elephants stay very close to their mothers for the first couple of months. The calves drink their mother's milk for about two years, sometimes longer. They drink up to 3 gallons of milk a day!
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🐘 Masai Mara | Kenya
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#wildnout #masaimaranationalpark #majestic_wildlife_ #wildlife #wildliveplanet #africa #wildglobe #wildlife_inspired #animals #live_love_wildlife #africanelephant #africanwildlife #allnatureshots #bestwildlifephotography

Baby elephants stay very close to their mothers for the first couple of months. The calves drink their mother's milk for about two years, sometimes longer. They drink up to 3 gallons of milk a day!
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🐘 Masai Mara | Kenya
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How will you define this texture 🐘…? | African Bush Elephant | Ngorongoro | Tanzania
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How will you define this texture 🐘…? | African Bush Elephant | Ngorongoro | Tanzania
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An elephant can urinate about 42.3 gallons in one go.
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🦣 Masai Mara | Kenya
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#elephants #elephant #elephantlover #elephantsworld #bekindtoelephants #wildlife #elefante #africanelephant #masaimaranationalpark #saveanimals #animals #animallover #animalphotos #loveelephants #funnyanimals #elephantlove #bownaankamal

Borneo Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis

Bornean Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis

Endangered

Population: fewer than 1,000

Locations: Sabah, Malaysia and Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The endearing Borneo Pygmy Elephant is a diminutive subspecies of the Asian Elephant. They are distinguished by their unusually large ears, baby-like faces, and remarkably long tails that sometimes drag on the ground. These gentle, docile and compact elephants are able to sense through their feet and despite their size are able to walk through the jungle with barely a sound. They are endangered due mainly to #palmoil deforestation and human persecution, with fewer than 1,500 individual elephants left alive.

Borneo’s elephants are genetically distinct from any South and Southeast Asian population and may have been isolated for over 300,000 years. Destruction across their range for corporate greed is out of control. Help their survival every time you shop and #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife

https://youtu.be/js877ojzh6w

Gentle #endangered giants, only <1,500 Bornean Pygmy #Elephants 🐘💔 still live in #Borneo. They’re surrounded by #palmoil #deforestation and #poaching. Fight for them when you shop 👏☮️ and #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫#Boycott4Wildlife every day! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/19/bornean-pygmy-elephant-elephas-maximus-borneensis/

Laughing, crying, playing isn’t just done by #humans. #Bornean Pygmy #Elephants do the same! Fight for these intelligent, endearing beings 😻🐘🩶 who are #endangered by #palmoil #deforestation 👎🌴🚫 #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/01/19/bornean-pygmy-elephant-elephas-maximus-borneensis/

Appearances and behaviour

Borneo elephants are noticeably smaller than other Asian elephants, standing at 2-3 metres tall and weighing between 3-5 tonnes. They have a distinctly rotund appearance with their plump bellies, oversized ears, and long tails. Their trunks are equipped with a single finger-like muscle at the tip. This makes their trunks highly versatile and used for grasping objects, feeding, and drinking. Borneo Elephants are famous for their gentle and sensitive disposition, they are more docile compared to other elephants. They live in small herds, exhibiting strong social bonds and often seen playing and nurturing their young. These elephants communicate through low-frequency sounds and body language, displaying the full gamut of complex emotions from joy, mourning and grief, cheekiness and playfulness, anger and jealousy.

Fast facts

• Borneo elephants have a slower pulse rate of 27 beats per minute compared to other animals.
• They can ‘listen’ through their feet by detecting ground vibrations.
• Despite their size, Borneo elephants are capable of moving silently through dense forests.

Threats to their survival

• Palm oil deforestation: The expansion of palm oil plantations is one of the most significant threats to Borneo elephants. Vast areas of their natural habitat are being cleared to make way for these plantations, leading to habitat fragmentation and loss. This destruction not only reduces the space available for elephants to live and forage but also isolates populations, making it harder for them to find mates and sustain genetic diversity. The loss of habitat forces elephants into closer contact with humans, often leading to conflict situations.
• Habitat loss due to logging: Logging operations, both legal and illegal, are rampant in Borneo’s forests. The removal of large trees not only destroys the elephants’ habitat but also disrupts the forest structure, affecting the availability of food and water sources. The creation of logging roads further fragments the forest, creating barriers that elephants must navigate. This destruction of their environment can lead to malnutrition and increased mortality rates among the elephant population.
• Human encroachment and conflicts: As human populations grow and expand into previously wild areas, elephants find themselves increasingly squeezed into smaller habitats. Agricultural expansion, urban development, and infrastructure projects such as roads and dams encroach on their territory. This encroachment often results in human-elephant conflicts, where elephants raid crops and villages in search of food, leading to retaliation from local communities. Such conflicts can be fatal for both elephants and humans.
• Fragmentation of habitat: The fragmentation of forests into smaller, isolated patches significantly impacts Borneo elephants. Fragmented habitats can limit the elephants’ ability to migrate and access different parts of the forest for food and water. It also makes it harder for them to escape from poachers and other threats. Fragmentation often results in inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity, which can compromise the health and resilience of elephant populations.

Diet

Borneo elephants are herbivores, primarily feeding on a variety of plants, fruits, and tree bark. They require large amounts of water daily, which they often seek in rivers and other water bodies.

Mating and Reproduction

Borneo elephants have a gestation period of about 22 months, the longest of any mammal. Females usually give birth to a single calf, which is nurtured and protected by the entire herd. Calves are dependent on their mothers for milk for up to two years but start eating vegetation at around six months old.

Geographic Range

These elephants are confined to the northern and northeastern parts of Borneo, favouring lowland rainforests and river valleys. Their range is limited, and they often compete with humans for space and resources. Borneo’s nutrient-poor soils and the need for mineral sources also restrict their distribution.

Are Borneo Elephants Protected?

Several organisations are dedicated to the conservation of Borneo elephants, such as the Borneo Elephant Sanctuary and the Elephant Conservation Centre. These groups focus on habitat protection, research, and mitigating human-elephant conflicts.

Supreme Intelligence and Sensitivity

Borneo elephants are known for their gentle nature and remarkable intelligence. Their brains are the largest among all terrestrial mammals, 3-4 times bigger than human brains, although smaller in proportion to their body weight. Despite having poor vision, they possess a keen sense of smell and use their trunks to wave side to side or up in the air to better detect scents.

The elephant trunk is a multifunctional tool, used to explore the size, shape, and temperature of objects, lift food, and suck up water to drink. Borneo elephants can display a wide range of emotions, including laughing and crying. They have highly developed memories and can remember individuals and places for many years. These sensitive animals can feel grief and compassion, showing self-awareness, altruism, and playful behaviour. For instance, when a calf complains, the entire family gathers to show concern and caress the baby.

Elephants can ‘listen’ through their feet, detecting sub-sonic rumblings that cause ground vibrations, which they perceive by positioning their feet and trunks on the ground. Their ears consist of a complex system of blood vessels that help control their body temperature, allowing them to cool off by circulating blood through their ears

Bornean Pygmy Elephant Elephas maximus borneensis

Further Information

Wikipedia contributors. (2024). Borneo elephant. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Williams, C., Tiwari, S.K., Goswami, V.R., de Silva, S., Kumar, A., Baskaran, N., Yoganand, K. & Menon, V. 2020. Elephas maximus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T7140A45818198. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T7140A45818198.en. Accessed on 26 July 2024.

How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?

Take Action in Five Ways

1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.

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2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.

Wildlife Artist Juanchi Pérez

Read more

Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings

Read more

Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao

Read more

Health Physician Dr Evan Allen

Read more

The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert

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How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy

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3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.

https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20

https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20

https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20

4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.

5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here

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