NANGKA EXPLORES OUTDOOR HABITAT WITH ADOPTIVE MOM MADU

Nangka, the 6-month-old infant Sumatran orangutan who arrived at Zoo Atlanta on September 8, has recently embarked on his latest exciting milestone: exploring his new outdoor habitat with his adoptive mother, Madu. Be on the lookout for the duo in the Zoo’s orangutan complex in the Asian Forest when weather conditions are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny.

Incredibly, Nangka is Madu’s fifth adoptive infant. When it became apparent following his birth at the Sacramento Zoo on May 1, 2023, that his biological mother was not likely to provide appropriate maternal or interest or care for him, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Orangutan Species Survival Plan® (SSP) recommended that the youngster be transferred to Atlanta to join Madu.

The ability to be reared by other orangutans is vital for these arboreal apes, who have a longer dependent childhood (eight to 10 years) than any other terrestrial mammal and learn everything they know from their mothers. In the wild,

these skills include knowledge of climbing safety, appropriate predator avoidance behaviors, the ability to identify and remember the locations of fruiting trees, and the ability to discern the appropriateness of certain fruits and other foods.

Read the original story about Nangka’s arrival here.

(Photo: Jodi Carrigan)