Bulan, the female orangutan born at the Audubon Zoo in July, has joined the other Sumatran orangutans in their habitat at the zoo. Bulan is the second orangutan born to Feliz, the zoo's adult female, joining her older sister Menari, born at the zoo in 2009.
"We couldn’t be prouder of Feliz for showing such great signs taking care of the new infant. More importantly, with this birth we hope zoo visitors will connect with a species on the brink of extinction and want to start making the little changes in their lives to help save them," says Curator of Primates and Sea Lions at Audubon Zoo Courtney Eparvier.
Bulan and Feliz were kept in a private area of the zoo to give the mother and infant time to bond. The zoo's goal is to allow Feliz to raise Bulan with minimal intervention
Orangutans are considered critically endangered. Their natural habitat is found only on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in parts of Malaysia and Indonesia.
In addition to Feliz, Bulan, and Menari, the zoo also houses Reese, a juvenile female, and Jambi, a male.