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Joy and Sadness at the Zoo:
Orangutan dies after delivering healthy baby

Sayang, a 22-year-old Sumatran orangutan at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, delivered a healthy baby boy Sunday afternoon, but died an hour after giving birth.

“For our staff and the people who work with the orangutans every day, this is a huge loss,” said Zoo Director Jim Anderson. “But I’m very proud of our staff, who worked so hard to prepare for this birth.”

This baby orangutan was born Sunday at the Zoo.

Zoo keepers were keeping a close watch on Sayang for the past week after she began showing signs that the baby might be coming soon. During that time, Sayang was isolated in her “bedroom” off the Orangutan Valley exhibit to avoid potential conflicts with Tengku, her mate, and Melati, the zoo’s other female orangutan. Zoo keepers originally thought the baby might be due in November or early December, but had prepared extensively for the birth by visiting other zoos and learning maternity care. Sayang appeared healthy throughout her pregnancy and was recently visited by a local obstetrician.

When it became apparent that Sayang was in labor late Sunday morning, a small group of zoo keepers gathered with Zoo Veterinarian Joe Smith and Animal Curator Mark Weldon to observe the birth. “There was no need to assist her in any way,” said Weldon. In the wild, orangutans are solitary animals, and females give birth alone in the rain forest. For safety reasons, zoo keepers never enter any enclosure with the orangutans.

“The delivery went very smoothly,” said Smith. “Sayang did everything perfectly. She cleaned the baby and held it in her arms.” But about an hour after the delivery, Sayang suddenly collapsed. Smith and several zoo keepers rushed to revive the unconscious Sayang by administering CPR. A portable AED device was brought to the scene while another zoo keeper wrapped the baby in a blanket and rushed him to an incubator. Efforts to revive Sayang were unsuccessful.

The cause of Sayang’s sudden death is not known. “There are numerous risks associated with childbirth in orangutans, much the same as in humans,” Smith said. A pathologist from the University of Illinois arrived Monday to assist Smith with Sayang’s necropsy (a necropsy is the equivalent of an autopsy performed on a human). “We expect to have complete results in a few weeks,” Smith said. “But just as in humans, the cause of death may be difficult to pinpoint.”

The baby, which is the first orangutan ever born at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, is receiving around-the-clock care from zoo keepers. He is given a bottle with formula every two-and-a-half to three hours. “So far, he is eating well,” says Smith. “He’s a good-sized baby.” The baby weighed about 4.5 pounds at birth. The average birth weight in orangutans is about 3.5 pounds, while adult males can weigh 250 pounds or more. Judging from his size, Smith said the baby appears to be full-term. Orangutans are pregnant for about 35 weeks.

Though the baby appears healthy, he remains in guarded condition. “Hand-rearing exotic animals is not an exact science,” Weldon said. “We won’t be out of the woods for several weeks.” The baby has not yet been named.

“We will continue to provide expert care for the baby,” said Smith, “but it’s too soon to know when or if he will join the others in the exhibit.”

The zoo announced Sayang’s pregnancy to the public last month. Sayang’s breeding with Tengku, who arrived in Fort Wayne from Zoo Atlanta in 1995, was recommended by the Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP). The SSP is a cooperative program among zoos to maintain genetic diversity within populations of endangered animals. Native to the rain forests of Indonesia and Malaysia, only about 300 Sumatran orangutans live in zoos around the world. Only 15-25 of these critically endangered apes are born in zoos worldwide each year.

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