Endangered orangutan gives birth at zoo
A CRITICALLY endangered d d Sumatran orangutan in New Orleans has given birth to a healthy male baby, but his twin brother died in the womb, officials at the Audubon Zoo said.
Twelve-year-old Menari gave birth to the first baby without trouble on Christmas Eve and was mothering it appropriately, but she was having problems after that, according to a news release.
A team of on-call medical professionals was brought in, including neonatology specialists who usually treat humans.
MMenarii was anesthetised,thti d and d ultrasound showed that the second baby was dead and badly positioned. The team was able to remove it without a caesarean section, the zoo said.
The great apes, named for their long red hair, are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Threats include hunting and the destruction of the forests and peat swamps, where they spend nearly all their time in trees.
Fewer than 14,000 live in the wildild andd their th i numbersb are declining as palm oil plantations spread into their forest habitat, according to the Audubon Nature Institute, which runs the zoo.
When Menari’s pregnancy was announced in October, the zoo said there was about a 1% chance of orangutan twins. Twin births are inherently high risk.
“This is a bittersweet time for our team, but, given the very serious complications with the second infant, we are extremely happy that Menari and the surviving infant are together and ddoingi well,”ll” saidid AAudubon’sdb’ senior i vet, Bob MacLean.
He said the veterinary team and specialists were very pleased with Menari’s recovery and her natural mothering instincts so far.
The baby was bottle-fed overnight, while Menari recovered, Mr MacLean said.
“Menari immediately took the infant back on Christmas morning, when offered to her, and she began nursing,” he said.
The infant is the third for father Jambi, who also sired the babies born in 2019 and this year.