Endangered orangutan is a Pennsylvania zoo’s ‘newest bundle of joy.’ See the newborn
While 31-year-old orangutan Tua cuddles and hugs her newborn, the Philadelphia Zoo is celebrating the new addition to this critically endangered species’ population.
The Sumatran orangutan — born on June 26 — is the first for the Pennsylvania zoo in 15 years. The now 3-week-old appears “healthy and strong,” the zoo said in a July 11 Facebook post.
Staff are still working to determine the infant’s sex and choose a name, they said in a news release.
In the meantime, mom and baby are bonding in their habitat.
“...The infant continues to look strong, and Tua continues to be an excellent mother, nursing and holding the baby at all times,” the zoo said.
For now, only the mother Tua will bond with the baby. Eventually, the infant will have the opportunity to bond with its father, a 28-year-old orangutan named Sugi.
“In the wild, fathers typically don’t play a role in raising the young; in zoos, depending on personality, many orangutans do enjoy living together with their mate,” according to the zoo.
There are approximately 14,000 Sumatran orangutans still left on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the zoo said. Deforestation and population fragmentation continue to threaten the species.
“This critically endangered species is rapidly losing habitat largely due to deforestation as a result of an increased demand for logging, palm oil, and other natural resources located in their habitats,” Vice President of Animal Well-Being and Conservation Rachel Metz said in a statement. “Working with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to maintain a genetically healthy population in human care is vital to the survival of this species.”
The short-legged, muscular apes love to climb trees and spend most of their time off the ground, unlike others in the ape family, according to the zoo.
The zoo plans to debut the “newest bundle of joy” to the public in August, according to the news release.
“Mom and baby are currently setting their own schedule for when they will be visible to guests,” the zoo said.
Sumatra is the largest island entirely in Indonesia.
This story was originally published July 12, 2024 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Endangered orangutan is a Pennsylvania zoo’s ‘newest bundle of joy.’ See the newborn."
