ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Just right before the Christmas Holiday, the St. Louis Zoo received a early Christmas present, with Rubih, a 19-year-old Sumatran orangutan, gave birth to her first baby on Friday morning, Dec. 22, 2023, marking the first orangutan birth at the Zoo in nine years.
Now that baby has name with the Zoo announcing that name of the baby orangutan being Forest.
The Primate Care team chose the name in honor of their Malaysian conservation partners Hutan, a grassroots nonprofit organization working to help orangutans in the wild. Hutan translates to “forest” in the Malay language and “orangutan” means person of the forest.
According to the zoo, Forest clings tightly to Rubih’s chest all the time. She never sets him down or leaves him. Orangutan infants start clinging to mom and holding tightly to her hair almost immediately after birth, though mom helps support them at times
Rubih has been a longtime staple at the Zoo, first being born in 2004. She gave birth to forest with Cinta, 19, who came to St. Louis in 2012 from the San Diego Zoo. Alongside the family is Ginger, Rubih’s half-sister, who was born in 2014.
Rubih may choose to spend some of her day in the orangutan dayroom at Jungle of the Apes where guests may have a chance get a glimpse of the pair; however, there is no set schedule.