Zac, 9, set for triathlon challenge to aid orangutans

Zac McCourt said he is so concerned about their future survival he plans to swim 20 lengths, cycle 5km and run 3km.

Zak, who attends Leighton Primary School and lives in the village, near Welshpool, said he is determined to raise as much as he can to help the threatened beasts.

His mother, Holly Dyer, said: "I watched a programme about orangutans and palm oil recently and was telling Zac about how people destroy the rain forest so they can grow the palm oil.

"The knock on effect is that the orangutans and many other creatures are left homeless or killed or wander into villages where they are chased away or the babies sometimes kept as pets.

"Orangutans are now endangered because of this deforestation. Zac was really upset about this and even more so when we discovered how many things have palm oil in them: biscuits, washing liquid, chocolate, bread, soap, noodles and almost everything else.

"We talked about how we could make a difference and help the oranutans, checking things we buy for palm oil, buying goods with certified sustainable palm oil, talking about it so other people know about it and doing some fundraising.

"We looked online to find an organisation who are trying to do something about rescuing and saving the orangutans and found the Orangutan Foundation UK."

She added: "Zac is very sporty and belongs to the Welshpool Flash Leisure Centre Piranhas Swimming Group and he swims for his school at swimming galas. He also belongs to the Hafren Cycling Club and he came up with the idea for the triathlon himself and was adamant about the distances he wanted to do.

"He did an illustration and I helped him create a fundraising poster and a Just Giving page.

"Zac has been very excited about how much money he has already raised and just how generous people have been - an anonymous donor gave £50."

Zac's challenge will be carried out on January 18, 2015 at the Flash Leisure Centre.

To sponsor him, visit: www.justgiving.com/holly-dyer