For the last few months, zoo staff and volunteers have been very busy in the orangutan building. Baby Aurora has been flourishing under their care: from her birth weight of 3 pounds she is up to a whopping 12 pounds in December. She has gone from a tiny, clinging being to an independent, personality-infused kid who is able to traverse her room all the way up to the skylight and back down again in a heartbeat. She spends her days interacting with and watching her surrogate mom-to-be, Cheyenne, and her big-sister-in-waiting, Indah, now 7.
Photo by Janet Hughes
Cheyenne seems less than patient on the occasions when Aurora is engaged in play away from the mesh introduction panel placed in between their rooms. Chey kiss-squeaks loudly to get her attention, fishes for her with plant stalks or other modified tools, or makes throaty rumbling sounds in her direction. Cheyenne will come over to the introduction door with a blanket over her head to see if the baby will notice, and when she does, Chey engages her in gentle play through the mesh. Her tenderness and avid interest in this infant is very touching to see. Indah is a little more rambunctious in her attentions, and it is evident that she will be a great playmate to the baby once they are all together.
Other activities for Aurora include familiarizing herself with the outdoor exhibit, where she goes every morning prior to the zoo opening as the yard is serviced by keeper staff. Her volunteer caregiver brings her outside in all but very chilly weather, and she curiously investigates the grass, the pool, the wooden structures and the windows. She enjoys sampling various types of edible browse, watching the fish and ducks get their morning breakfast, and just enjoying the morning air and the sounds of the birds chattering back and forth.
Photo by Tammy Buhrmester
Aurora still drinks formula from a bottle, but instead of being held by a caregiver while taking it, she simply receives her bottle through the mesh wall of her room. This will facilitate the upcoming introduction, as of course human contact will be unnecessary once she goes in with Cheyenne. She feeds herself bites of fruits, vegetables and primate biscuits and disdains the spoon for her cereal: caregivers just hand her a bowl of the mixture and she makes quick work of it. She is very comfortable with our more distanced relationship now, which gives us high hopes that she will be quite ready to meet Cheyenne when the time comes. We expect to start the first full introductions around the first of the new year. Once Cheyenne and Aurora are fully comfortable with each other, we will work Indah into the mix.
Photo by Diane Chesley
This will be Cheyenne’s fourth adopted baby since 1999. Now age 39, she has been a great mom to previous kids Luna, Elok and Indah. Adding Aurora to her brood is something that fulfills Cheyenne’s seemingly never-ending maternal potential. For Indah, at age 7, having a new baby sister will provide a bit of practice for her own child-rearing skills in the future, as well as letting her roughhouse with someone closer to her own age.
We look forward to the introduction and will keep you all posted on their progress!
of Primates, where our Babirusa live.
