Malu the orangutan at Melbourne Zoo makes history

Mischievous Malu at Melbourne Zoo has lived up to his name while becoming the first orangutan to send an email. 

He was meant to click the send button on an email regarding palm oil but instead sent a message that required a bit of a clean up. 

The email eventually went out to federal and state ministers who will meet next month to vote on mandatory food labelling of fats, sugars and oils, including habitat-destroying palm oil.  

Palm oil is contained in over 50 per cent of supermarket foods, but companies can use over 200 other names to mask its presence. 

Zoos Victoria’s Rachel Lowry said overseas, honest labelling has changed consumer habits forcing companies to use sustainable palm oil.

She is urging Australians to follow Malu’s lead by heading to zoo.org.au/palmoil and supporting palm oil labelling on products.

WATCH: Malu clicks send 

 

Video: Ashleigh Brown