Press Release Archive

PHOENIX ZOO PROUDLY ANNOUNCES BORNEAN ORANGUTAN BIRTH!

PHOENIX--The Phoenix Zoo is pleased to announce the birth of a Bornean orangutan on the evening of Friday, January 27, 2006.  The baby's sex is not yet confirmed, but its health is currently very good and it is being well cared for by its mother. This is the first orangutan birth at the Phoenix Zoo in 11 years.

The baby's mother, Bess, is 26 years old and a first-time parent.  Bess was born at the Phoenix Zoo in 1979 and still shares a home with her mother--the Zoo's other female orangutan--Duchess.  The father of the baby is Michael, an 18-year-old male orangutan that came to the Zoo from Utah's Hogle Zoo October 2000. An endangered species, the Bornean orangutan is bred in captivity based on the recommendations of a Species Survival Plan developed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. 

The period after the baby's birth is an important bonding time for the mother and infant, and both are currently off exhibit.   Bess is under veterinary care and experiencing some normal fatigue and discomfort associated with the birth.  Veterinary staff expect her to continue to improve.

Bess and the baby will be off exhibit for approximately two or three weeks. At that point, mother and baby will initially be exhibited for shorter periods of time and without the other adult orangutans (also weather pending).

Keepers suspected a pregnancy just about nine months ago after breeding was observed.  During that time they worked extensively on a birth management plan to prepare Bess for motherhood. 

"The birth of this precious Bornean orangutan offers a sense of hope for an imperiled species.  By observing these animals and learning how our lifestyles and choices may affect the orangutans, perhaps our visitors will develop a greater sense of appreciation for the natural world around us, " said Phoenix Zoo Vice President/General Curator Geoff Hall.

Bornean orangutans are found only on the island of Borneo in South East Asia, where its habitat includes lowland swamps and forests.  When breeding in the wild, orangutans give birth to a single baby, about every four to eight years. The exact sex and size of the Zoo's baby will not be confirmed until a post-natal exam is completed, but keepers suspect she is a female and probably weighs about four pounds.

The Phoenix Zoo will host a contest on its web site, offering the public an opportunity to help choose the name of the new baby.  Details on this contest will be available soon.

The Phoenix Zoo is one of the country's largest private non profit zoological parks and has been open since 1962.  More information can be found at the Zoo's website:  www.phoenixzoo.org   

Bornean Orangutan Fact Sheet

Range:
Found only on the island of Borneo in South East Asia. (A different subspecies is found only on Sumatra)

Habitat:
Lowland swamp and primary forest

Size:
Male: Height: 0.97 m (3.2 ft); Weight: 90 kg (198 lbs)
Female: Height: 0.78 m (2.6 ft); Weight: 50 kg (110 lbs)

Young:
A single baby about every 4-8 years

Gestation:
260-270 days

Diet (wild):
Frugivore/Omnivore: 60% fruit (mainly figs); other plant materials including leaves, bark, flowers, and nuts; and rarely insects and small mammals

Diet (zoo):
Monkey biscuits, banana, apple, carrot, green peppers and hard boiled eggs

Lifespan (wild):
Up to 40 years

Lifespan (captivity):
Up to 50

Status:
Endangered, CITES Appendix I

Threats:
Habitat loss and the capture of baby orangutans for sale

Anatomy/Physiology:
Their coat coloration can vary from an orange to a brown to a maroon. They have a fringe of hair on their foreheads and the hair on their arms runs in both directions towards the elbow to help shed rain water. They have are mostly hairless, dished face (except that adults have whiskers on the cheek and chin). Their skull is narrow and heavy and there is no visible neck. Their muzzles are large and rounded. The adult males have fatty pads on the sides of their faces, deep-set eyes, and a large throat pouch that extends under the arms and over the shoulders. They have long arms and short legs. Their legs are able to be at right angles to the body for better maneuverability in the trees. Their hands are long, slender and prehensile with a thumb that is short and set close to the wrist. The feet are hook-like with a small big toe, similar to hands. Their fingers and toes have strongly curved nails.

Social/Family units:
They are usually found singly or an adult female with her most recent offspring. Each individual needs large amounts of fruit and the patches of food in the rainforest are small. Each patch of food can only support one orangutan, so this forces them to be solitary and have little social interactions.

Habits:
Orangutans have tremendous strength, which enables them hang upside down from branches for long periods of time in order to retrieve fruit. They shelter themselves from rain and sun by holding leafy branches over their heads, and when they make a night nest in the trees, will sometimes add a leafy roof.

Communication:
They are generally quieter than other apes. The male has a long call lasting up to 2 min. This call is aided by a large throat sac so that it can be heard up to 1 km (0.62 mi) away through the dense vegetation. This call helps the male define his territory. Both sexes can also make a "squeak-kiss" noise that shows annoyance.
Defensive/Aggressive behavior:
The males are very aggressive towards one another and their territories do not overlap.

Prey items:
Fruits, leaves, bark, and some bird eggs.

Predators:
They live high in the canopy to avoid predators; therefore they have no natural predators.

Locomotion:
Even though they are able to walk upright for short distances (with all four limbs, using the knuckle pads on the back of the digits of the hands) orangutans travel mostly by brachiating (swinging from one branch to another by the arms) through trees, using well-worn corridors in the forest canopy.

Activity:
Diurnal

Interesting story/facts:
Orangutans are among the few creatures in the animal kingdom that use tools. They use sticks to dig termites out of termite mounds, stones to crack nuts, and leaves to soak up drinking water or to clean themselves.
They play an essential role as seed dispersers throughout the forest of Indonesia as they digest and eliminate waste. They choose select green leaves and shoots, and as doing so act as pruners that aid in regenerating plant growth.