Just days after the birth of a baby giraffe, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is already welcoming another new resident.
Thursday, the zoo announced the birth of a baby Sumatran orangutan. Born at 9:28 p.m. Wednesday night, the baby is the third offspring of 30-year-old mom, Sumagu and 27-year-old dad, Baka.
The zoo said that mother and baby appear to be healthy and bonding well, so zoo staff has not yet intervened to determine the sex of the baby. The zoo did say that Sumagu appears to be doing a great job as a mother, and the two have been observed successfully nursing.
According to the zoo, orangutans are pregnant for an average of 245 days, or a little over eight months. In the wild, orangutan fathers do no typically participate in raising offspring, but in a zoo their behavior can be different. The zoo said Baka has show great fatherly instincts with his previous offspring and staff are hopeful he will do the same with his newest progeny. Just to be safe, the zoo will keep Baka separate from mother and baby for a short time.
The zoo said Sumagu and her new baby are in their regular exhibit in Primate World and it is open to guests. However, depending on where Sumagu decides to hang out, she may or may not be visible to guests.
