The Little Rock Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a baby female Northwest Bornean orangutan born to mother Berani and father Bandar on July 28. This is the first infant born to Berani and the fifth born to Bandar.

The baby can be seen at the great ape habitat with Berani. She carries the baby with her while she’s outside but does often shield the baby from public view by turning her back.

The birth comes at the recommendation of the Orangutan Species Survival Plan® (SSP), a program that cooperatively manages orangutan species in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to further conservation goals. Developed in 1988, this SSP Program coordinates species conservation, research, husbandry, management and educational initiatives. The Little Rock Zoo also participates in the AZA SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program for orangutans. AZA SAFE programs combine the collective strength of AZA organizations to help save species in the wild.

Native to the Borneo, Northwest Bornean orangutans are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning there is a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. Their vulnerability is mainly caused by habitat loss and fragmentation of their home. It is estimated that between forty-five and sixty-nine thousand (45,000 and 69,000) Northwest Bornean orangutans remain in the wild.