BBC Home
Explore the BBC
BBC News
Launch consoleBBC NEWS CHANNEL
Languages
Last Updated: Wednesday, 18 May, 2005, 13:45 GMT 14:45 UK
Orang-utan delivery joy for zoo
A baby Sumatran orang-utan
Another baby orang-utan is expected any day
A baby Sumatran orang-utan has been born at Jersey Zoo.

The baby, born at the zoo on Sunday night, is the second offspring of 29- year-old Julitta, but it is not known if it is a boy or a girl.

The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust's vet says mother and baby are both healthy.

Julitta was pregnant for 232 days and the newest arrival is the ninth Sumatran orang-utan to be born since the species came to the Trust in 1968.

Imminent arrival

The Sumatran orang-utan is one of the most threatened of the six great apes and is critically endangered.

Orang-utans, also known as the red ape, or the "old man of the forest", are the largest tree-living mammals and have a life expectancy of about 60 years.

Despite not knowing the sex of the baby, a list of possible names is being made by the zoo, which now has seven orang-utans, with15-year-old Mawar also expected to give birth any day.

Last summer, another orang-utan made national headlines when 40-year-old Gina had her baby, Jaya, delivered by caesarean section by Dr Neil MacLachlan from Jersey's General Hospital.


SEE ALSO:
Caesarean ape has first birthday
12 May 05 |  Jersey
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


RELATED INTERNET LINKS:
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites


PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

News Front Page | World | UK | England | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales | Politics
Business | Entertainment | Science/Nature | Technology | Health | Education
Have Your Say | Magazine | In Pictures | Week at a Glance | Country Profiles | In Depth | Programmes
Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific