Story of Zookeeper Teaching Orangutan to Nurse Her Baby Is Absolutely Beautiful
This story is capturing hearts.
Sometimes, it really does take a village to raise a baby. This was the case when the Metro Richmond Zoo brought in some special assistance after Zoe the orangutan gave birth to her second baby. Zoe’s first little one had to be hand-raised after she failed to breastfeed him and hold him properly, the zoo said.
When Zoe gave birth to her second baby in December, the zoo contacted Whitlee Turner, a zookeeper and fellow breastfeeding mom to act as a lactation counselor for Zoe. Watch the following sweet clip to see how these two moms boned over nursing their babies.
This just couldn't be any sweeter. Breastfeeding can be so tricky for new moms to get the hang of, and why should animal moms be any different? It's so remarkable that just less than 24 hours later, Zoe nursed her baby for the first time.
"My goodness! Extraordinary! I'm impressed how the staff came up with a way to help teach an animal how to care for their baby by watching a human. Amazing!!," commented @GraceC. Viewer @JessicaBalducci replied, "Wow that's so amazing!!! That was such a smart idea and I love that they showed her videos and stuff so she could learn about how other orangutans take care of their babies so cool!"
The zoo added the following, “Zoe and her unnamed baby boy are healthy and bonding well. The zoo is grateful to our dedicated and creative professionals who are committed to helping Zoe.”
Congratulations to both of these new moms, human and orangutan alike!
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos.
Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
