Critically Endangered Sumatran Orangutan Is Pregnant with 'Extremely Rare' Twins

Photo: Audubon Zoo

The Audubon Zoo in New Orleans is preparing to welcome two new additions from a “critically endangered” species.

A 12-year-old Sumatran orangutan named Menari is pregnant for the first time, and she’s expecting twins, thanks to a successful breeding match with the zoo’s male orangutan Jambi. She’s expected to give birth in December or January, according to arelease.

“We are very excited about this pregnancy,” said Bob MacLean, the Audubon Zoo’s senior veterinarian, in a statement. “Twinning is extremely rare in orangutans — there is only about a 1% chance of this happening.”

Audubon’s veterinary team has also been helping Menari prepare for birth and motherhood through daily training and enrichment sessions, which will hopefully get her used to having staff help her feed and care for the newborns.

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“Around the world, those using sustainable practices in logging and agriculture are demonstrating that it is possible to conserve wildlife habitats while supporting the local economy,” said Liz Wilson, Audubon’s curator of primates. “We strongly recommend purchasing products with sustainably grown palm oil.”

The last time the Audubon Zoo welcomed twin orangutans was in 1985, when Sarah gave birth to Bon Temps (a.k.a. Bonnie) and Lagniappe (a.k.a. Lana), who were both hand-raised at the zoo. Although Bonnie died in 2016 at Zoo Miami, Lana currently resides at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina.

source: people.com