Philadelphia Zoo welcomes the first Sumatran orangutan born there in 15 years
- Zoo hails the birth as a ‘major conservation win’ as the Sumatran orangutan is critically endangered
For the first time since 2009, the Philadelphia Zoo welcomes a new baby Sumatran orangutan, courtesy of parents Tua and Sugi.
Born to 31-year-old female Tua and 28-year-old male Sugi, the infant Sumatran orangutan is the zoo’s first birth of the species in 15 years.
The Sumatran orangutan is critically endangered, and the zoo is calling the birth a “major conservation win”. There are only about 14,000 left on the island of Sumatra, according to the zoo.
Born on June 26, the baby continues to grow strong and is being nursed by Tua. The baby orangutan currently does not have a name and its gender is not currently known.
Tua and the baby might be able to be viewed from time to time by zoo visitors, but this period is usually spent in private in the mother’s bedroom space. The zoo has not determined an official date for a public debut, but is aiming for the middle of August.
“Our entire Zoo Community and those that work closest with our orangutans are thrilled to watch Tua become a mother again and watch this baby grow,” Michael Stern, the Andrew J. Baker curator of primates and small mammals, said in a statement.
