- Utah's Hogle Zoo welcomes a newborn orangutan, born to mother Kawan.
- Despite Kawan's initial maternal behavior, successful nursing was not observed by caretakers.
- Zoo staff are hand-rearing the infant, providing 24/7 care and nutritional support.
SALT LAKE CITY — Animal caretakers are raising a baby orangutan that was recently born at Utah's Hogle Zoo.
Bornean orangutan Kawan delivered her baby on June 21. Both the 24-year-old mother and 3-pound baby are doing well, the zoo said in a statement.
After giving birth to her first baby at Henry Vilas Zoo in Wisconsin, Kawan did not care for the newborn. The Hogle Zoo prepared for a similar outcome with this birth but also provided Kawan "maternal training and support" to help prepare her for motherhood.
"After the birth, Kawan displayed gentle and attentive behavior toward her newborn. However, the care team did not observe successful nursing, which is essential within the first 24 hours," the zoo said.
The zoo care team decided it would be best to "hand-rear" the baby orangutan. Infants typically cling to their mothers constantly in their first few months of life. To replicate this, trained caregivers provide 24/7 physical contact for the baby while wearing a specially designed vest that imitates orangutan fur, allowing the baby to grip it.
The baby orangutan is being given bottles, formula and medicine to provide her with nutrition as she has been struggling to eat consistently and gain weight. The baby is receiving round-the-clock care and will remain behind the scenes for several months before guests can visit her, the zoo said.
The zoo hopes to place the baby with female orangutan Acara, who previously fostered her brother, Tuah, in 2014.
"Using positive reinforcement, established training and protected contact, the team introduced Acara to the infant. Acara has shown interest and interacted in a gentle manner," the zoo said.
Care teams will monitor Acara as interaction progresses between the two to see if Acara is comfortable and willing to become the baby's caregiver.
Kawan is receiving special care as she recovers from childbirth.
"I am so proud of how far Kawan has come. She's taught me that celebrating small wins is important. With her first infant, she had not shown maternal interest, but this time she was engaged. Her disinterest in nursing was the key detail that informed our decision to hand-rear this infant," said Clair Hallyburton, Hogle's animal care associate director.
The zoo built positive relationships with Kawan and worked hard to help her feel safe over the last three years but knew it was possible the baby would have to be hand-reared by caretakers. The team prepared for all outcomes, allowing them to quickly adjust once it was clear the baby would require extra care.
"I was hopeful Kawan would have something click surrounding nursing, but when it didn't, we knew stepping in was the right choice for the infant's well-being. While she did not choose to care for her infant appropriately, the progress she made makes me feel that we succeeded, in a small way, in our goal of making her as comfortable as possible. She is an amazing animal, and I am in awe of her resilience," Hallyburton said.
