Bornean Orangutan Baby Makes Debut at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
  • 6 years ago
A female baby Bornean orangutan made its debut on Thursday, January 11, at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo. The endangered primate was born early on January 6 to mom Dee Dee, weighing about three pounds.The zoo is currently home to seven orangutans and participates in the Bornean Orangutan Species Survival Plan, an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) program that protects wildlife species at risk of extinction. The baby is the tenth Bornean orangutan born in Tampa. There are fewer than 100 Bornean orangutans in 24 AZA-accredited institutions in North America.The species, native to Malaysia and Indonesia, is considered endangered in the wild due to critical habitat loss, increased use of palm oil, poaching and the pet trade. The population has declined more than 50 percent in the last 60 years. Credit: YouTube/Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo via Storyful