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The Web Site has a virtual character that goes by the name Mr. Tangee, the orangutan that runs the ice-cream van. If the residents “buy” an ice-cream they in turn get a chance to learn more about the product.

In an attempt to encourage human residents to live in sync with nature, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has set up a virtual island named “Conservation Island” in an Internet-based virtual world Second Life.

The site goes on to explain how the soy and palm oil is found in everyday products, from ice-cream to cosmetics and chocolate bars thus threatening ” not only some of the world’s greatest forests and traditional lifestyles, but also endangered species such as orangutans and jaguars,” the site explains.

According to a press release, the visitors to another part of the island on the Web site can befriend a panda who will tell them about environmental issues. It also explains the benefits of renewable sources of energy by a town powered by a wind-powered pinwheel.

AFP quotes WWF’s David Cole as saying, “WWF set up the island as a way to help people learn about conservation issues and the need to live sustainably.”

“We want to be able to show people that WWF has solutions to the real environmental issues affecting their ‘first life’,” he added.

Launched in 2003 and developed by Linden Research, Inc. (commonly referred to as Linden Lab), Second Life came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007.

A downloadable client program called the Second Life Viewer enables its users, called “Residents,” to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse.