Eight orangutan babies have been born in US zoos since early 2025. For critically endangered primates, that is staggering, and it is not random.
The baby boom results from meticulous breeding coordinated by the Orangutan Species Survival Plan since 1985. Geneticists consult a studbook with every animal's pedigree.
Humans share over 90% of DNA with orangutans. They receive human birth control and prenatal vitamins, are taught to use human pregnancy tests, and gestate for nearly nine months.
An estimated 100,000 Bornean and 11,000 Sumatran orangutans remain in the wild. Experts warn they could go extinct in 10 to 20 years. While these zoo babies will not be released, they serve as conservation ambassadors and their care research directly helps wild populations.
