Baby orangutan at New Orleans zoo being bottle-fed, which intrigues others

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The endangered Sumatran orangutan infant at New Orleans' zoo is being bottle-fed because his mother wasn't producing enough milk.

The still unnamed baby was being tube-fed as well, but the tube was removed Jan. 13, Audubon Zoo spokeswoman Annie Kinler Matherne said Wednesday.

The great apes named for their long red hair are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Threats to the Sumatran species include hunting and the destruction of the forests and peat swamps where they spend nearly all their time in trees.

Twelve-year-old Menari gave birth to the baby on Christmas Eve; a twin brother was stillborn. Days later, the baby was showing signs of weakness and lack of nursing.

https://krcgtv.com/news/offbeat/baby-orangutan-at-new-orleans-zoo-being-bottle-fed-which-intrigues-others