OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo has some exciting news: one of its orangutans is expecting.
In a social media post Wednesday morning, Henry Doorly shared that a 26-year-old Bornean orangutan named Ruby is marking the first orangutan pregnancy at the zoo in over a decade.
Ruby is in her second trimester and will have her baby in February. The pregnancy is a “significant conservation milestone” for the species, which is critically endangered, the zoo says.
She currently lives with the infant’s father, 23-year-old Denda, in the Hubbard Orangutan Forest. Closer to her due date, she will move to a private space that provides around-the-clock care and monitoring.
According to a release, Ruby has been at the zoo since 2007. Denda was new last year.
“We’re overjoyed to bring our Zoo community along with us on this journey and share the impact of this conservation milestone,” the zoo says.
The Henry Doorly Zoo has some exciting news Wednesday morning.(Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo)
Henry Doorly says they will provide more updates on Ruby as her pregnancy progresses. As of now, guests are encouraged to visit her in her habitat.
The species is critically endangered due to habitat loss, deforestation, palm oil production, and illegal wildlife trade, the release states.
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