Baby orangutan born via C-section at Memphis Zoo
MEMPHIS — A baby orangutan and his mother both survived a C-section birth at the Memphis Zoo last month, according to zoo officials.
The C-section was performed March 19 on Jahe by obstetrician Dr. Joseph C. DeWane, who usually operates on humans. The male baby Sumatran orangutan weighed 5 pounds, 4 ounces.
Of the 2,224 births recorded in the International Orangutan Studbook, only 18 were delivered via C-section, zoo officials said. Only nine mother-baby pairs have survived the surgery, including Jahe.
"We had to step in temporarily to hand-rear in order to allow Jahe to recover from her surgery," Courtney Janney, curator of large mammals said in a news release. "Once we were sure she was comfortable and healing well, we reintroduced the baby to his mother and she has completely taken over."
The baby will be named through a naming contest on the zoo's website which runs until 1 p.m. ET on April 21. The zoo said the name will be announced April 22 through its social media channels. The mother-baby duo are not yet on exhibit, officials said.
Sumatran orangutans are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This is the first Sumatran orangutan born at the Memphis Zoo since 2004.
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