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Los Angeles Zoo Introduces First Baby Bornean Orangutan in Nearly 15 Years

The newborn offers a rare chance for visitors to observe maternal care that typically spans seven to eight years.

Overview

  • The male was born Oct. 10 to 43-year-old Kalim and 31-year-old Isim, marking Kalim’s third offspring and the pair’s first together.
  • After several weeks bonding behind the scenes, mother and infant are now viewable at the Red Ape Rain Forest, with mornings offering the best chance to see them.
  • The infant has not been named, and the zoo says it has not yet decided whether to hold a naming contest.
  • Zoo staff highlight that orangutans have the longest interbirth interval of any non-human primate, with mothers caring for young for seven to eight years.
  • The birth involves a critically endangered Bornean orangutan, underscoring the zoo’s conservation and public education efforts.