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Baby orangutan born at San Diego Zoo weeks after father Satu’s death

SAN DIEGO — California’s San Diego Zoo welcomed a baby Sumatran orangutan just weeks after the death of his father.

🚨Baby alert!🚨 Orangutan Indah gave birth to a healthy baby boy on January 4th. His name is Kaja, after an island in...

Posted by San Diego Zoo on Tuesday, January 18, 2022

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According to KNSD, 35-year-old mother Indah gave birth to her third offspring, a male named Kaja, on Jan. 4. The infant’s father, Satu, died last month at age 26 following what officials believe was a cancer-related illness, the news outlet reported.

The San Diego Zoo family is heartbroken to announce the passing of male orangutan Satu. The much-loved ape was under...

Posted by San Diego Zoo on Thursday, December 23, 2021

While Kaja is healthy, Indah “experienced some complications” after the infant’s arrival and is recovering, the zoo said in a news release Tuesday. Specialists are closely monitoring the pair, the release said.

Sumatran and Bornean orangutans are considered critically endangered, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

“To witness the birth of such a majestic critically endangered animal is a remarkable experience and brings us hope for the future,” Erika Kohler, the zoo’s interim executive director, said in a statement. “His birth increases the population by one, and that is a necessary step in our ongoing efforts to gain a deeper understanding of orangutans so we can conserve the species where they live.”