Denver Zoo welcomes newborn Sumatran Orangutan

DENVER, Colo. (KRDO)-- The Denver Zoo has announced its Sumatran Orangutan, Eirina, has just given birth to a baby on Sunday, August 27. 

The Zoo’s Animal Care and Health teams reported that the mom and baby—who is believed to be a female and whose name is yet to be determined—are thriving in their Great Apes habitat in Primate Panorama. 

According to Zoo officials, this is Eirina’s first baby after receiving a breeding recommendation as part of the Sumatran Orangutan Species Survival Plan. 

The Zoo’s Animal Health team stated they will do a DNA test in the coming weeks to determine if the baby’s father is 30-year-old Berani, or 15-year-old Jaya.

According to the Denver Zoo, Eirina came from Germany’s Dortmund Zoo in 2016. 

The Denver Zoo announced her pregnancy in April– making national news after it shared her Animal Care team’s innovative cure for Eirina’s morning sickness—the same tea that Animal Care Specialist Cindy Cossaboon drank when she was pregnant with her daughter.   

Denver Zoo officials stated the birth of the baby Sumatran Orangutan marks a momentous occasion for both the Zoo and the global conservation community. 

Sumatran Orangutans are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with a rapidly declining wild population due to habitat loss, illegal hunting, and the black-market pet trade. 

To support world-class care for Eirina, her baby, and the rest of the orangutan group you can donate to the Orangutan Baby Registry and stay tuned for more updates. 

Guests and members can also catch a glimpse of Eirina and her baby starting today (Aug. 30).