Orangutans are large apes that live in southeast Asia (on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra). These apes mostly live in trees (they are arboreal) and swing from branch to branch using their arms. The name “orangutan” literally translates into English as “person of the forest”.
Orangutans are among humankind’s closest relatives, they share almost 98% of the same DNA with us. They are incredibly intelligent creatures who have the ability to reason and think! Baby orangutans cry when they’re hungry, whimper when they’re hurt and smile when they are happy. They express emotions just like humans, they can feel: joy, fear, anger, surprise.
The mommy orangutan from the video below is named Dana, she is a twenty five year old Sumatran orangutan. She is in the care of the Durrell Wildlife Conservative Trust. In the video we can see her giving birth to a baby girl. What you are about to see has never been captured in so much details before on film. It is a very special moment of a very precious new life. Dana is a very good mother who knew exactly what to do right after she gave birth. She comforted her daughter and held her close. Like any other very proud mother, shortly after the birth, she showed off and introduced her newborn to staff at the center. This video is absolutely incredible!
