Blaze, a 16-year-old Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), gave birth to a male infant on January 10, 2013. The newborn was delivered via Caesarean section with the consultation of an extensive pre-appointed medical team that comprised human obstetricians, neonatologists and veterinary anaesthesiologists.
Blaze’s Caesarean section is one of only three performed on Sumatran orangutans in recent years. She is a small– bodied female, and her reproductive track record includes a previous infant who did not survive the birth process, possibly due to causes related to Blaze’s small size. These factors prompted the Zoo Atlanta Animal Management and Veterinary Teams to compile a detailed birth management plan in preparation for several potential birth scenarios.
The procedure was performed by the Zoo Atlanta Veterinary Team in conjunction with an assemblage of human experts and consultant veterinarians, including a neonatal team of Neonatology Associates of Atlanta and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“It was an exciting honour to be included in this team of specialists to help Blaze give birth successfully,” according to Sandy Jun.
Blaze appears to be recovering normally from the procedure, and her infant is currently in a nursery unit in the care of the Zoo Atlanta Veterinary Team and primate care professionals. The team hopes to reintroduce the infant to Blaze as soon as possible so that the new mother may begin bonding with her newborn.
“We’re delighted that Blaze’s infant has arrived safely, and that infant and mother seem to be doing well,” said Raymond King, President and CEO. “We’re doubly grateful for the support and participation of such a wide range of outside medical experts, all coming together with our team to follow an extremely well-executed plan with a superb level of professionalism and dedication.”
Blaze, who has been trained to participate in voluntary ultrasounds throughout her pregnancy, has also benefited from additional training to encourage appropriate maternal care and cooperation with veterinarians and animal care staff. She has been under round-the-clock observation since her birth window began on January 2. The infant’s father, 33-year-old Benny, has been temporarily separated from Blaze but will be reunited with her and his new offspring soon.
Zoo Atlanta is home to the nation’s largest zoological collection of orangutans, now with 14 individuals. Not only is Blaze’s baby the first high-profile Zoo birth of 2013, but the delivery also sends a crucial message of hope for a critically endangered species. Now believed to number fewer than 7,000 in the wild, Sumatran orangutan populations have declined drastically in recent years as a result of habitat conversion to palm oil plantations, over– harvesting of timber, and human encroachment. Without targeted conservation efforts, experts predict that the species could be extinct in the wild within 10 years.
Updates on Blaze and her infant here.
An accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta inspires value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,500 animals from around the world. A slate of new up-close-and-personal experiences opened in spring 2012: giraffe feeding, permitting guests to hand-feed Earth’s tallest living land mammals, and Wild Encounters, three new behind-the-scenes adventures with African elephants, giant pandas and Komodo dragon. Other highlights include the nation’s largest collection of western lowland gorillas, the nation’s largest zoological collection of orangutans and a global centre of excellence for the care and study of vanishing reptiles and amphibians.
