World Wild Life Day - Get involved

Added 13th February 2026

This World Wildlife Day, Why Not Get Your School Involved in Cakes for Apes.

A Sweet Way to Support Orangutan Conservation and Your School

With just a month to go until World Wildlife Day – We are asking schools to join the fun and help protect critically endangered orangutans with Cakes for Apes, our exciting initiative with resources designed for schools.

It’s easy, we have all the resources ready for you to deliver an assembly or a lesson.

Cakes for Apes, from International Animal Rescue, provides a fun and delicious way for schools to raise funds and awareness for orangutan conservation. This World Wildlife Day (3^rd March), not only will you be teaching pupils about the importance of protecting wildlife, but your school will also be making a real difference for orangutans and their rainforest homes.

We know that times are tough and finances are limited, so this year, we encourage schools to take a 50/50 approach and keep half of the money raised to support your own initiatives, with the other half going directly to support International Animal Rescue's projects.

How Can Your School Get Involved?

It's easy.  Host a bake sale, a bake-off competition, or wear something red or orange for a dress-up day, any event that involves cakes and treats can be part of the Cakes for Apes fundraiser. Your school will raise vital funds to help orangutans, all while having a great time. Every cupcake and cake sold contributes to a better future for endangered wildlife!

Here’s how your school can make the most of this opportunity:

• Bake Sales – Get your pupils involved by baking and selling cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.
• Bake-Off Competitions – Hold a fun baking contest, where pupils can showcase their talents while raising money for conservation.
• Dress-Down or Fun Days – Organise a special event where pupils pay a small fee to wear casual clothes, orange or red to support the orangutans, or take part in themed activities.

Resources to Help You Get Started

We’ve made it easy for your school to take part. Our free resources include:

• Lesson Plan Ideas – Adaptable for all ages and abilities, helping pupils learn about conservation while getting involved.
• Engaging Assembly Presentation – Inspire your pupils with an interactive presentation and video about orangutans and how they can make a difference.
• Editable Posters – Use our customisable posters to promote your Cakes for Apes events within the school.

Why take part?

Our initiative isn’t just about baking cakes, it's about educating young people and inspiring them to take action for wildlife conservation. Here’s what one teacher had to say about their experience:

"The children really enjoyed selling the cakes and it was great to hear them telling people about the charity and how important it is to save animals." – Rachel, Teacher at Frome Valley First School

Take Action and Join the Celebration.

This year marks the 11th anniversary of Cakes for Apes, and schools across the country are invited to join in the celebrations. By taking part, you'll be part of something truly special while making a positive impact on the future of orangutans.

How to Sign Up?

• Simply visit https://www.cakes4apes.org/schools   to register your school.
• Use the resources available to plan your event and get your pupils excited about supporting orangutans! https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eEFoJUipDlTvb5X72Q_2liMVDUmocxW4
• You can also sign up to receive a free fundraising pack.

Important Dates: As well as World Wildlife Day, we also have a month-long campaign called “Ape-ril,” where schools and supporters around the world take part in this exciting initiative.  But, you may prefer to hold your event near World Wildlife Day (3^rd March) or at another more convenient time to suit you.

Let's work together to ensure a brighter future for orangutans and inspire the next generation of conservationists.

If you have any questions please email media@internationalanimalrescue.org or for more information or to sign up your school, visit: https://www.cakes4apes.org/

-Ends-

Photos and images

You can download images here for use. Please contact media@internationalanimalrescue.org

About International Animal Rescue

International Animal Rescue is a global organisation dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating animals suffering from injury, illness, and cruelty. The organisation also works to protect the natural habitats of these animals and raise awareness about the importance of conservation. Through events like the Rainforest Run, International Animal Rescue mobilises people worldwide to take action for the well-being of animals and the environment. www.internationalanimalrescue.org