The Orangutan Project

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NOTE TO THE INDIVIDUAL REVERTING MY EDITS: ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE EDITS I HAVE POSTED IS PUBLICALLY AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE. IF YOU HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, WHY REVERT IT?

… people are going to find out sooner or later.

The Orangutan ProjectNickname| Orangutopia, (2022) Forests For People, (2022) Body Fit Challenge (2022) AUSTRALIAN ORANGUTAN PROJECT, (2020) Wildlife Guardian Fund, (2018) International Elephant Project, (2018) International Tiger Project (2018).

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Formation| 1998/2015
Founder| Leif Cocks
Founded at| Australia
Type| Nonprofit
Legal status| Company
Purpose| Wildlife Conservation
Headquarters| Perth, Western Australia
Location|

* Perth, Western Australia

Board of directors

| Leif Cocks, Kylie Bullo & Troy Kenah

Key people

| Leif Cocks.

Parent organization

| Wildlife Conservation International
Website| www.theorangutanproject.org

The Orangutan Project, also known as The Australian Orangutan Project, (also known by 7 other names) is a non-profit, registered, Australian environmental organization.[1]

Please note that no proven affiliation between Australian government bodies and this organization exist. This organization is registered with the ACNC but does not receive recognition as a partner of the "Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water". Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Retrieved 2 February 2025. , despite the misleading language, which has been amended in the most recent iteration of this page.

This organization’s ACNC registration can be found at "Australian Business Register". Australian Government. Retrieved 2 February 2025.. (ABN: 92 607 879 345)

More information on tax deductibility can be found at "Tax Deductible Organisations” (Register of Environmental Organisations)".

This foundation was supposedly established in 1998 by Leif Cocks. More information is required as the current publically available information is contradictory, and cannot be substantiated.

The current ACNC registration claims the organization was registered in 2015– which contradicts their statement that the organization was founded in 1998. Their business’ name has changed extensively since being registered, however, there is no record of “The Orangutan Project” (or any other affiliated names) before 2015 publically available.

The organization claims to focus on the conservation of orangutans and the preservation and rehabilitation of their forest habitats, primarily in Indonesia. This cannot be corroborated. It runs it’s own projects in partnership with local organizations and supports other organizations working in the field. This cannot be corroborated. It is a project of Wildlife Conservation International (WCI), a non-profit registered Australian environmental organization with affiliates and chapters in Canada, USA, EU and New Zealand.

* The organization’s founder, Leif Cocks, has a minute history of misrepresenting himself, neglecting transparency surrounding expenditures, and relevant financial information to the nonprofit. Domain registrations from multiple affiliated websites trace back to organizations like “Knock Knock WHOIS not there LLC”, “Dreamscape Networks” , “Newfold Digital” which allows the owner of the website— in this case the founder and his associates— the ability to hide their address; IP information, contact information, DNS logs, domain registration information, and more. Multiple websites corroborating the history of TOP have been traced back to domains owned and registered to the founder himself, an individual named “Peter Miller”, and fellow director Troy Kenah.

A reputable organization does not use domain-masking services. Donations should be made to this organization only after careful deliberation of the risks and consequences. In a Youtube video posted to the CareMoreBeBetter channel on June 21st, 2023; Lief was falsely represented in the caption to have received the Order of Australia award for his “outstanding” work in the field of wildlife conservation. Care More Be Better (21 June 2023). The Orangutan Project With Leif Cocks. Retrieved 2 February 2025.. However, an extensive search through "Australia Day 2020 Honours List". Governor-General of Australia. Retrieved 2 February 2025. has shown no results for the name “Lief Cocks” nor any information relevant to these claims. As such, this Wikipedia page has been amended to remove his OAM title.

Lief Cocks’s resume shows an extensive list of conservation and environmental background. Most of this information cannot be corroborated. "Leif Cocks Bio & Resume" (PDF). Leif Cocks Official Website. Retrieved 2 February 2025.

The Wildlife Conservation Foundation Ltd is a charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC). According to the foundation's profile on the ACNC website, the charity operates in four countries aside from Australia: Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. However, it fails to mention that the charity also operates in Canada, Europe, and New Zealand.[2] For reasons unbeknownst to all.

### Revenue Breakdown

[edit]

The revenue of the organization is distributed as follows:

* 51.38% from donation-based revenue
* 40.7% from "Other" (unspecified) revenue
* 7% from investment revenue

### Expense Breakdown

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The expenses of the organization are as follows:

* 62.67% allocated to grants and donations made for use outside Australia
* 23.28% for "all other expenses" (unspecified expenses)
* 14.05% for employee expenses

Editor’s note: Do not believe everything you see on the internet. To Leif and Co.: Please stop lying to people.

## Funding

[edit]

NONE OF THIS can be corroborated through publicly accessible internet data about the organization.

CEO and affiliates’ note: “The organization receives funding through public donations, community events, membership fees, orphan orangutan 'adoptions', and grants. As of 30 June 2024, providing funding over AUD $5,603,175 (USD $3,667,558) to wildlife conservation. In 2005, WCI received over $62,000 from the Australian Government's Regional Natural Heritage Program (RNHP) to develop and implement orangutan protection units in the Bukit Tigapuluh National Park region in Sumatra and to monitor and deter illegal logging. [3] In 2006, the organization secured an additional $92,000 from the RNHP to extend the protection efforts to include other species such as the Sumatran elephant and tiger. TOP also received A$207,500 for wildlife surveys in Borneo's forests, including the Ulu Segama reserve, to establish wildlife baseline data and develop a Forest Management Plan focusing on orangutan populations. [4]”

## Leadership

[edit]

The Orangutan Project was founded by Leif Cocks, who also serves as the organization's current CEO. Leif has been involved in orangutan conservation for over 30 years and has contributed to various projects related to the protection of orangutans and their habitats. He holds a Master of Science from Curtin University, Western Australia, for research on the welfare of orangutans. CREDIBLE REFERENCES REQUIRED. Leif has published several papers in peer review journals (CREDIBLE REFERENCES REQUIRED) and books on the subject, including "Orangutans and their Battle for Survival"[5] and an autobiography titled "Orangutans, My Cousins, My Friends, and 'Finding Our Humanity'".[6] Perth Zoo, Western Australia.

## Organizational structure

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The Orangutan Project operates as a conservation organization supporting projects across Indonesia and Malaysia.[7] It addresses issues facing fragmented orangutan populations, including rescue, rehabilitation, and release programs, as well as forest habitat protection, regeneration, education, research, and local community partnerships. In 2017, the organization transitioned structurally, leading to the establishment of Wildlife Conservation International Limited, which oversees The Orangutan Project and its related projects, including the International Elephant Project, Forests for People and the International Tiger Project.[8]

Editor’s note: This information was added by the CEO and his affiliates. None of this information can be corroborated through publicly accessible, reputable websites online.

Public, physical copies of literature surrounding the history of this organization are scarce, or perhaps non-existent.

The conservation efforts outlined in the organization’s mission statement are purposefully vague. They do not explain how conservation efforts are undertaken or maintained. This is likely purposeful.

## Partnerships

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The Orangutan Project collaborates with several regional alliances and organizations focused on orangutan conservation, such as the Sumatran Rescue Alliance and the Borneo Orangutan Rescue Alliance. Its partners include the Centre for Orangutan Protection, Borneo Nature Foundation, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Orangutan Foundation UK, Orangutan Information Centre, and Orang Utan Republik Foundation.[9][10]

Editor’s note; These are all (if not mostly) affiliates of TOP. These are not seperate organizations endorsing TOP. It is TOP endorsing themselves.

Thank the CEO (and his affiliates) for that.

## References

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1. ^ Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources.
2. ^ Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) Profile
3. ^ "Regional Natural Heritage Programme: Projects 2004-2005". Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
4. ^ "RNHP Projects for 2006-07". Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
5. ^ "Orangutan Expert Leif Cocks Discusses His Book 'Finding Our Humanity' At Library". 27 East. 27 June 2019.
6. ^ "What humans can learn from orangutans". ABC News. 29 October 2016.
7. ^ Sánchez, Diego (16 August 2023). "Saving Borneo's orangutans from the air". EL PAÍS English.
8. ^ ""The only way we can save the species is in the wild": an interview with Leif Cocks". loveexploring.com.
9. ^ "The Project Working to Provide a Lifeline For Trafficked Orangutans". Earth.Org. 26 May 2021.
10. ^ "The Orangutan Project Launches New Sumatran Rescue Alliance To Rehabilitate Trafficked Orangutans & Fight Illegal Wildlife Trade". World Animal News. 14 May 2020.

## Further reading

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* Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources. "RNHP Projects for 2004–05". Accessed 1 August 2007.
* Australian Department of the Environment and Water Resources. "RNHP Projects for 2006–07". Accessed 1 August 2007.
* Cocks, L (2003) Orangutans and their Battle for Survival. University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 1-876268-80-8.
* Embassy of Indonesia, Canberra, Australia. "Media release: Australian born orang-utan to swing back into Indonesian national park". Accessed 1 August 2007

## External links

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* Forests for People
* International Elephant Project
* International Tiger Project
* leifcocks.org
* The Orangutan Project
* The Orangutan Foundation