This Suburban Zoo is Now Home to a Critically Endangered Orangutan

Submitted by the Brookfield Zoo.

BROOKFIELD, IL – The Chicago Zoological Society (CZS), which manages Brookfield Zoo, is happy to announce that a Bornean orangutan was born on December 20. The male infant is currently behind the scenes bonding with his mother Sophia, 35, and being monitored by the animal care staff to ensure that he is healthy and meeting crucial developmental milestones. It is expected that zoo guests will be able to see them and the other members of the orangutan family in their habitat at Tropic World: Asia within a few weeks.

This is Sophia’s sixth offspring and the fourth of Ben, the sire. “The birth is significant to the zoo population, but hopefully it will also help raise awareness about the threats facing orangutans in the wild,” said Bill Zeigler, senior vice president of animal programs for CZS. Orangutans, a critically endangered species, once lived in much of Southeast Asia, but their range and population have been dramatically reduced due to deforestation, the illegal pet trade, and poaching. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Bornean orangutan population has declined by more than 60 percent between 1950 and 2010, and a further 22 percent decrease is projected through 2025.

The Chicago Zoological Society is a participant in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is a cooperative population management and conservation program for the species. The program manages the breeding of orangutans in zoos to maintain a healthy, self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. The pairing of Sophia and Ben was based on a recommendation by the Orangutan SSP.

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Photo courtesy of the Brookfield Zoo