SAN DIEGO — California’s San Diego Zoo welcomed a baby Sumatran orangutan just weeks after the death of his father.
Sumatran and Bornean orangutans are considered critically endangered, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
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.
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.
“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.”