What if hope isn’t enough to carry us through what we’re facing?
Leif Cocks, founder of The Orangutan Project, shares a perspective shaped by more than three decades in conservation. His message is grounded and direct. Hope comes and goes. Love and compassion are what sustain the long-term effort required to create real change.
From Zoo Keeper to Advocate
Leif’s journey began in a zoo, where he worked closely with orangutans in a way that few ever do. Without barriers or assumptions, he built relationships with them and quickly recognized their intelligence, awareness, and individuality.
That experience led to a shift in understanding. These were not beings meant for confinement. They were meant to live freely, make choices, and exist in their natural environment. That realization became the foundation for his life’s work—returning orangutans to the wild.
What Captivity Doesn’t Show
When animals are only seen in captivity, it creates a distorted perception.
Leif compares it to forming an opinion about people after only seeing them in prisons. You may be seeing the same individuals, but not who they truly are. To understand orangutans—their intelligence, behavior, and presence—you have to see them in the wild.
Habitat Loss Is the Real Crisis
The greatest threat to orangutans is the destruction of their habitat.
Rainforests are being cleared at an alarming rate, largely driven by palm oil, pulp production, and monoculture farming. These systems strip ecosystems of biodiversity and prioritize short-term profit over long-term survival. In some areas, this destruction is compounded by coal extraction, accelerating climate damage even further.
Why Size and Scale Matter
Conservation is not just about protecting land. It is about protecting the right land.
Ecosystems must be large, connected, and capable of sustaining life over time. Small, fragmented forests cannot support viable populations and will eventually collapse. Lowland rainforests, where orangutans, elephants, and tigers live, are among the most critical—and most threatened.
The Limits of Zoos
A hard truth shared in this episode is that zoos are not a solution for saving endangered megafauna.
Captive populations are not sustainable long term and cannot replace the complexity of wild ecosystems. If species are to survive, it will be because we protect and restore their natural habitats.
Rewilding the Future
Looking ahead, Leif points to the need to rewild roughly 25 percent of the planet.
Restoring ecosystems is essential to stabilizing climate systems and preventing further ecological collapse. Rainforests play a central role, acting as both biodiversity strongholds and climate regulators.
A Holistic Approach to Conservation
Leif’s work extends beyond orangutans to include elephants, tigers, and local communities.
Conservation cannot succeed in isolation. It must support entire ecosystems and create solutions where both wildlife and people can coexist and thrive.
What You Can Do
There are practical ways to be part of the solution.
Support rainforest protection. Follow and support rescued orangutans. Contribute to sanctuary-based conservation efforts. Share what you learn with others.
The Takeaway
Hope alone won’t carry this forward.
Love will.
Because when action is rooted in compassion—for animals, for the planet, and for future generations—it creates the kind of change that lasts.
Episode Highlights
[00:00] Introduction
[02:00] Over 30 years protecting wildlife
[03:15] From working at zoos to protecting orangutans
[06:00] Supporting habitat protection
[07:15] International elephants and tiger projects
[11:30] A primary cause for extinction of wildlife
[15:30] Another primary cause for massive fires and deadly droughts
About Leif Cocks
Leif Cocks is a zoologist, author, and internationally recognized advocate for orangutans, with more than 30 years dedicated to their protection and survival. As the founder of The Orangutan Project, he has played a pivotal role in advancing conservation strategies, improving welfare standards, and influencing global efforts to safeguard orangutans in the wild and in captivity.
A small population biologist by training, Leif holds a Master of Science focused on orangutans and has contributed to numerous peer-reviewed publications. His leadership extends across multiple conservation initiatives, including serving as President of the International Elephant Project, International Tiger Project, and Wildlife Asia, and as Vice President of the Orang Utan Republik Foundation.
An engaging international speaker, Leif delivers keynotes and lectures across North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia, and leads immersive eco-tours to Borneo and Sumatra. He is also the author of several books, including Orangutans and Their
Battle for Survival, the bestselling Orangutans: My Cousins, My Friends, and Finding Our Humanity.
Through his work, Leif continues to be a powerful voice for wildlife, inspiring action and driving meaningful change for some of the world’s most endangered species.
https://leifcocks.org/
About Cheryl Moss
Cheryl Moss is the host of the Better Life for Animals podcast, where she shares uplifting stories from sanctuaries and highlights the work of vegan activists, ethical consumers, and animal welfare leaders. She is also the founder of the Funding Blueprint for Sanctuaries summit designed to empower those involved with sanctuaries sustainable funding streams.
A passionate advocate for animal welfare, she is dedicated to ending factory farming and is working to support underrepresented sanctuaries.
Beyond podcasting, Cheryl is a banking professional and an accomplished children’s author. A graduate of Main Street Vegan Academy, she promotes plant-based living through her books, Gabriel, Cluck, and Pickle the Pig, which inspire young readers to
embrace kindness, sustainability, and compassion for animals.
When not advocating, she enjoys Pilates, and spending time with her rescue dogs and grandchildren. Through her work, writing, and activism, Cheryl continues to inspire positive change for animals and the planet.
https://www.facebook.com/BLFAnimals/
https://x.com/betterlife4anim
https://www.instagram.com/betterlife4animals/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmossabetterlifeforanimals/
