KUCHING: A new bundle of joy has been delivered by one of the orangutans at Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (Semenggoh) here.
The newborn orangutan made its debut appearance on July 29, clinging to its 31-year-old mother Minah, who visited the feeding area around 2.30pm.
“Her last appearance was on July 23,” said Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) in announcing the good news via a post on its Facebook page at 7.54pm on Monday. Included in the post were endearing photographs of Minah cradling her new baby.
They added that the orangutan baby was likely about three days old at the time of discovery based on the experience of park rangers, making the estimated date of birth July 26.
“This baby is the fourth for Minah. (This is) another successful conservation effort by Sarawak Forestry,” the post read.
Thus far, the newborn has not been named and its gender not revealed.
The good news was received well by the public, with viewers ‘liking’ and sharing the post on their Facebook pages, as well as sending their congratulations and positive support via the comment section of the SFC post.
According to Semenggoh’s website, a baby orangutan is totally dependent on its mother for food, milk and shelter, never leaving her until it reaches the age of one or two years. Only after this period does the baby start to explore its surroundings, but still typically keeping close, not straying more than three metres from its mother.
The wildlife centre even features orangutan families spanning generations, as some have given birth to offsprings who in turn had their own. The first ever births recorded within the centre occurred in 1996 by a male and female orangutan named Anorma and Analisa respectively.
The semi-wild orangutans of Semenggoh are allowed to roam free within the surrounding 653 hectares of forested area.
