Dr. Lamar Hunter has just joined the Carolina Tiger Rescue team as a wildlife veterinarian. After he graduated from NC State’s vet school, Dr. Hunter studied under Dr. Angela Lassiter at Carolina Tiger Rescue. He helps with physicals, medical procedures, and loves seeing the animals improve under the care of the awesome vets at the rescue. Dr. Hunter enjoys working with all the animals at Carolina Tiger Rescue, but his favorite is the lions.
Dr. Hunter’s Blog 10/27/21
It’s the time of year for exciting costumes, trick or treating and enjoying your favorite Halloween treats! But did you know that roughly 50% of packaged products found in our grocery stores contain palm oil? This includes shampoos, deodorant, pizza, and many of our favorite Halloween candies. But what is palm oil and why is it bad? Palm oil is extracted by squeezing the fruit and crushing the kernels of oil palm trees. It is a very efficient crop that is easy to grow and use in many consumer products.
Unfortunately, palm oil is one of the leading contributors of deforestation and habitat loss of several endangered species, including Sumatran tigers, orangutans, and Sumatran rhinos. It is estimated that up to 300 football fields of forest are destroyed every hour to make room for palm oil plantations. By limiting our consumption of products that contain palm oil and palm kernel oil we can help protect and preserve the habitats of these endangered species. Always check the label on your consumer products to see if they contain palm oil or palm kernel oil and look for alternative products that do not contain palm oil products.
As consumers it is our responsibility to know where our products come from and how they are affecting the environment in which they are produced. The good news is, this is a small change we can make to protect the habitats of endangered species and help increase wild tiger populations. This Halloween we encourage you check the labels on your Halloween candy and avoid treats that contain palm oil. Check out Carolina Tiger Rescue’s approved list of palm oil free candy here.
