Adelaide Zoo’s critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan is expecting a baby in mid-January 2017.
This news is cause for cautious excitement at Adelaide Zoo given this pregnancy follows the loss of a stillborn infant in November 2014.
Senior Primate Keeper Jodie Ellen said the primate team were pleased 34-year-old Karta had the opportunity to become a mum again, but were realistic about the challenges faced in the past.
“Hopes are high that our beloved Karta will have a successful pregnancy, it’s something we believe she greatly deserves,” Jodie said.
“This wasn’t a planned pregnancy, but nature intervened and we’ve proceeded with the pregnancy because Sumatran Orangutans are critically endangered in the wild and it is important we breed this species before they disappear from the planet forever.”
Since 1995, Karta has lost six infants and for many years, it was not known why each infant passed away shortly after birth.
Similar to humans, complications at birth or within a few days after birth are not unusual for great apes, however, unlike human births, there is less opportunity for medical intervention.
“In 2011, we discovered Karta’s anatomy might be the reason she has difficulties breastfeeding. In fact, Karta’s sister at Denver Zoo experiences the same problems, with keepers having to supplement feed her infant in order for it to survive,” Jodie said.
“We’ll be doing everything in our power to support our Karta; we have been training her for years and we have a supplementary feeding program in place so that we can help her feed the infant when it is born.
“We have a group of dedicated staff that will form the primary care team and will be on site 24 hours a day once the baby arrives.
“We are checking remotely overnight using a new top-of-the-line camera system which will give us much greater visibility before the birth, during and afterwards.
“We now feel positive that we are on the right track and understand why Karta has had so much trouble in the past and we are hopeful that, this time around, we can help Karta have the baby she so much deserves.”
With less than 7,000 Sumatran and Bornean orangutans estimated to be left in the wild, figures suggest this critically endangered species could become extinct in their native Sumatra and Borneo within the next ten years as the population continues to decline by as many as 1,000 a year.
As a conservation charity, Zoos SA is doing its bit to help save orangutans in the wild. Through our partnership with Wildlife Asia, we support habitat protection and rescue efforts for this iconic species.
Karta was born at San Diego Zoo on 22 July 1982 and arrived at Adelaide Zoo in November 1992.
