NEW ORLEANS, La (BRPROUD) — The Audubon Zoo announces successful breeding with 12-year-old, Sumatran Orangutan, Menari who is expecting twins in late Dec. to early Jan. 2022.
“We are very excited about this pregnancy,” said Audubon’s Senior Veterinarian Bob MacLean. “Twinning is extremely rare in orangutans–there is only about a 1% chance of this happening.”
Menari was born at the Audubon Zoo in 2009 and mated with Jambi a male Orangutan. The Zoon veterinary team are working diligently to prepare the 12-year-old orangutan for motherhood. With any first pregnancy, there is the possibility of issues with lactation, basic mothering skills, and dynamics within the orangutan group post-birth.
The news is ahead of the Audubon Zoo Annual Halloween event, Peek-a Boo season where families can participate from October 20-24. Learn more about Audubon Zoo at https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/zoo
The orangutan group at Audubon Zoo serves as ambassadors for their global species, teaching guests about the plight of Sumatran orangutans in the wild due to human-wildlife conflict.