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woodland park zoo orangutan baby

Batu, a pregnant orangutan at Woodland Park Zoo, is nearing the end of her pregnancy and expected to give birth soon. She's under a 24-hour birth watch. Photo courtesy Woodland Park Zoo

Woodland Park Zoo STILL awaiting orangutan baby

It's been 35 years since zoo's last orangutan birth watch

UPDATE 11/18/2024: Wondering what happened with Bantu? Woodland Park Zoo has been on 24/7 watch since August waiting for its 14-year-old Orangutan to give birth. Did she have her baby? Not yet, according to zoo staff who said last week that their ā€œprojected birth window was quite off.ā€

“While we donā€™t have a clear new window for her delivery, all other indicators are good, said zoo spokesperson Gigi Allianic. ā€œBatu remains healthy, the fetus appears healthy, and Batu is getting regular pre-natal check-ups by our veterinary staff and weekly checks by an OBGYN. We continue to send Batu positive vibes while she remains on track.ā€

We have been eagerly awaiting a birth announcement to share with readers, but as of Monday morning, November 18, the wait continues. Keep checking back!

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It’s been a productive year for primates at Woodland Park Zoo (WPZ). After the safe delivery of a baby western lowland gorilla in June, the zoo is now on birth watch for a 14-year-old orangutan. The expectant mom, named Batu (bah-too), is near the end of her pregnancy, which for orangutans is nearly nine months.

But the wait for a newborn orangutan has been far longer. It’s been 35 years since an orangutan was born at WPZ.

woodland park zoo orangutan mom Batu

Expectant mom Batu is under a 24-hour birth watch. Photo courtesy Woodland Park Zoo

Prenatal care takes cooperation

The zoo’s orangutan prenatal and postpartum care program includes regular veterinary check-ups in consultation with an obstetrician. Bantu has been on a diet planned by a nutritionist and takes supplemental vitamins to help maintain a healthy weight. nd, just like with humans, providers use ultrasound to track fetal development.

Just as for pregnant humans, ultrasound imaging is used to track fetal development. Zoo staff attempt to do an ultrasound a few times weekly. Of course, being able to get an image depends on Batu’s cooperation.

ā€œBatu is given the choice to voluntarily participate in the non-invasive ultrasound procedures, which involve her presenting her belly and holding still as we apply the ultrasound probe for imaging. Sometimes sheā€™s not interested in participating, but we follow her cues,ā€ said Dr. Tim Storms, Director of Animal Health at Woodland Park Zoo, in a release. ā€œWe also use a small Doppler unit to monitor the fetal heartbeat. Weā€™re pleased to report that recent ultrasound images indicate Batu is near-term, and the fetus appears to be developing well with a normal heartbeat.ā€

“Rock” and “Sideburns”

Batu, which means ā€œrockā€ in Malay, arrived in 2021 from the Philadelphia Zoo. The first-time father-to-be, Godek, whose name means ā€œsideburnsā€ in Indonesian, arrived in 2017 from Cheyenne Mountain Zoo (Colorado Springs, Colo.). The Sumatran orangutans were paired under a breeding recommendation by the Orangutan Species Survival Plan and have been companions in the zooā€™s Trail of Vines. Species Survival PlansĀ are cooperative breeding programs across accredited zoos to help ensure healthy, self-sustaining populations of threatened and endangered species.

Throughout Batuā€™s pregnancy, the orangutan care team has been providing maternal skills training to help equip her with as many skills as possible to instill confidence and help her be a successful mother.

Despite similar training, western lowland gorilla Akenji was unable to care for her babyā€”eventually named Abeoā€”after his birth in June. Baby Abeo was later transferred to the Louisville Zoo where he is thriving in the care of a foster gorilla mom.

Orangutan siblings come far apart

Female orangutans only give birth every seven to nine years. Among the great apes (orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans), infant orangutans have the longest infant development period. They are completely dependent on their mom for the first three to four years, and while nursing, they are carried by their moms. Mother orangutans become empty nesters when their babies reach about 7 to 8 years old.

The zoo currently has four orangutans who live in two family groups: Batu and Godek share a habitat, while 35-year-old male Heran and 43-year-old female Belawan (Bela) live in the other orangutan habitat. Heran was the last orangutan born at Woodland Park Zoo in 1989; his parents have since passed away.

Visitors support orangutan conservation

There are three species of orangutans that are found only in Southeast Asia: the Bornean orangutan native to the island of Borneo, and Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutans native to the island of Sumatra. A critically endangered species, orangutans belong to the family Hominidae, which includes all five great apes: gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and humans.

Orangutans in the wild face multiple threats, including habitat loss and fragmentation due to forest fires, logging, and conversion to unsustainable monocultures, such as palm oil plantations. Climate change is expected to speed up habitat loss. Additionally, these animals are illegally hunted for meat and in response to human-wildlife conflict.

A portion of every visit and membership to Woodland Park Zoo supports saving wildlife in the Pacific Northwest and around the world, including protecting orangutans. The zoo supports HUTAN Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation ProgramĀ andĀ Gunung Palung Orangutan Conservation Program.

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