Tampa zoo welcomes endangered baby Bornean orangutan

This is the tender moment a rare Bornean orangutan leans in to kiss her newborn baby.

New mum Dee Dee was snapped cradling her little girl just days after her birth at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo in Florida.

The critically endangered primate was born weighing just three pounds earlier this month.

The zoo discovered mother-of-five Dee Dee was pregnant back in October using a human pregnancy test. 

This is the tender moment a rare Bornean orangutan leans in to kiss her newborn baby at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo in Florida

Mother-of-five Dee Dee gave birth to her little girl last month. General curator Chris Massaro said: 'This is a significant birth for the entire critically endangered Bornean orangutan population'

Mother-of-five Dee Dee gave birth to her little girl last month. General curator Chris Massaro said: ‘This is a significant birth for the entire critically endangered Bornean orangutan population’

Dr Ray Ball, who works at the zoo, said: ‘Dee Dee continues to do well with her female baby. As an experienced mother, she didn’t show any signs of any possible issues. 

‘We determined that Dee Dee’s baby had turned during one of her regular ultrasound exams.

‘Careful monitoring and pre-natal care are important, but so is privacy. With veterinary medicine, the baby determines the day of birth, but the mom determines the time.

‘With no signs of a high risk pregnancy, we let her take care of the labor naturally – she determined when it would be time to deliver her baby.’

Dr Ray Ball, who works at the zoo, said: 'Dee Dee continues to do well with her female baby. As an experienced mother, she didn't show any signs of any possible issues'

Dr Ray Ball, who works at the zoo, said: ‘Dee Dee continues to do well with her female baby. As an experienced mother, she didn’t show any signs of any possible issues’

The zoo is currently home to a group of seven endangered orangutans, and the baby is the tenth Bornean orangutan born there

The zoo is currently home to a group of seven endangered orangutans, and the baby is the tenth Bornean orangutan born there

The zoo is currently home to a group of seven endangered orangutans, and the baby is the tenth Bornean orangutan born there.

General curator Chris Massaro said: ‘This is a significant birth for the entire critically endangered Bornean orangutan population.

‘It’s important to have the community along for this journey. We hope Dee Dee’s story inspires the public to become advocates for this incredible species and learn about the perils they face in the wild.’ 

There are just 104,700 of the critically-endangered Bornean orangutans left. 

General curator Chris Massaro said: 'This is a significant birth for the entire critically endangered Bornean orangutan population'

General curator Chris Massaro said: ‘This is a significant birth for the entire critically endangered Bornean orangutan population’

He added: 'We hope Dee Dee's story inspires the public to become advocates for this incredible species and learn about the perils they face in the wild'

He added: ‘We hope Dee Dee’s story inspires the public to become advocates for this incredible species and learn about the perils they face in the wild’



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