The male baby orangutan born on November 3, 2010 at the Dehiwela Zoo made its first public appearance today. The previous birth recorded in the island is that of a Bornean
Orangutan 28 years before.
“This baby male orang utan made history as it is the first Sumatran Orang utan to be
born in Sri Lanka” said Veterinary Surgeon of the Dehiwala Zoo, Dr. Jagath Jayasekera.
The only two surviving species of Orang utans in the world are the Sumatran Orang utan
and the Bornean Orang utan. There are less than 6000 orangutans in the world today and
the Sumatran Orangutan constitutes only 14% of the total. Both species are endangered
while the Sumatran Orangutan is critically endangered. The Sumatran Orangutan is the
species present in Sri Lanka currently.
The parents of the new born baby orang utan were brought to Sri Lanka on November
11, 2003 from Indonesia. They were the last couple to be sent out of Indonesia, as orang
utans are endangered and facing extinction. The father is 14 years old and the mother is
12 years old at present.
The diet of the baby, who is 42 days old, will be restricted to mother’s milk for the first
six months. It would take seven to eight months for the baby to start eating solid food
such as fruits and vegetables. The mother will be kept on a diet of fruits, vegetables,
proteins and milk, to ensure the adequate supply of milk for the baby.
Dr. Jayasekera added that as it was not possible to approach the orangutans, photographs
will be taken every four to five days and the size etc of the animal will be monitored
digitally. He assured that the baby is in good health so far.
Dr. Jayasekera noted that the baby is very attached to the mother, but has not yet been
introduced to the father. In certain species it has been recorded that the father kills the
male baby due to the threat of sexual competition in the future.
In the wild the mother would escape with the baby for a while, to evade such a situation.
Dr. Jayasekera went on to say that research is being conducted to check if the father is a
threat to the male baby in the orang utan family as well. If the father is not proved to be a
threat, the baby will be introduced to the father gradually.
The birth of this baby orangutan has been recorded in the International Stud Book, in
which the details of valuable species are recorded
Sunday Times,