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Last Updated: Thursday, 12 May, 2005, 19:06 GMT 20:06 UK
Caesarean ape has first birthday
Jaya, a baby Sumatran orang-utan
Jaya weighed just under two kilograms when he was born
An orangutan from Jersey Zoo who was delivered by caesarean by a surgeon from the General Hospital celebrates his first birthday on Friday.

It was a day of high drama at Jersey Zoo last year when the birth of 40-year-old old Gina's baby started to become complicated.

The hospital's consultant gynaecologist Neil McLachlan had to be brought in to perform the operation.

Jaya was born weighing just 1.86kg (just over 4lbs).

Successful mating

To celebrate his birthday Jaya, who is Gina's sixth baby, will have a special visitor.

Pauline Maloney from Manchester won a competition to adopt him.

Mrs Maloney and her husband won a weekend in Jersey, and a trip to the zoo to meet Jaya on his birthday.

Jaya's father is the group's dominant male Dagu, and it was the first successful mating for the pair.

The gestation period for orangutans is very similar to humans, lasting on average 265 days or 8.5 months.


SEE ALSO:
Doing well a week after caesarean
20 May 04 |  Jersey
Baby ape delivered by consultant
14 May 04 |  Jersey
Three animals go missing from zoo
26 Apr 04 |  Jersey


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