Critically Endangered Sumatran Orangutan Born at Sacramento Zoo
Staff and guests at the Sacramento Zoo have a lot to celebrate this week after the birth of a male Sumatran orangutan. He entered the world on May 1, marking the first orangutan birth at the zoo since 1981. No wonder this new addition is making headlines!
This little boy's arrival is also special because the Sumatran orangutan is a critically endangered species. In fact, KCRA News reports that his birth was planned years in advance as part of an effort to save the species. It's safe to say that this little guy is a big deal.
Both the baby orangutan, who's yet to be named, and his 19-year-old mother Indah are doing well following the birth. However, zookeepers and UC Davis veterinarians intervened when they noticed that Indah had trouble nursing, so now they're providing 24-hour care for the little one. They're working on a plan to reunite him with his mother, but there's no current estimate on when that will be.
KCRA explains that there are only 79 Sumatran orangutans in captivity in the United States, though it's unclear whether that number includes this baby. Wild orangutan populations have been declining, too, so--as the zoo told the news outlet, "every birth is a monumental success for the species."
There are currently three Sumatran orangutans at the Sacramento Zoo, but this bundle of joy is certainly the cutest. His mother was brought to the zoo in 2017 specifically for the purpose of mating with Makan, the resident male. As you can tell, the plan was a major success!
Indah and her little one won't be on display to the public for a while, but we can imagine they'll have lots of visitors at the zoo when they're ready.
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