Orang utan (Photo by Jessie Cohen)
Dr. Michael Robinson - Director, National Zoo
Can anyone resist a young animal, with its big head, large eyes, and appealing clumsiness? Certainly those of us here at the Smithsonian's National Zoo anticipate births among the animals in our collections with many hopes and expectations. And among the most eagerly awaited births are those of the primates. Observing one our our orangs, covering his head in a characteristic pose resembling his wild relatives who habitually construct platforms of branches and leaves to protect themselves from downpours, gives one an idea of the impish, mischievous potential of this highly endangered great ape. With its high forehead, huge, round eyes, and tiny ears, who can not help but want to embrace this charming infant?
Two geographically and genetically distinct subspecies live in the tropical rainforests canopies of Borneo and Sumatran. The animal's English name is derived from Orang-hutan which in the Malay language means "wild person of the woods." In contrast to other great apes, such as gorillas, chimps, and gibbons, the orang utans are generally solitary animals, with the exception of females caring for offspring. Their reclusive nature may be due to their large size and the quantity of food they must consume. The amount of food available in their habitat simply is not great enough to support groups of orangs. Here at the National Zoo, we find orangs to be quite compatible living in family groups.
One of the most charming of the orangs in the Great Ape House is Chang, Jr., and he has quite a story to tell. His father, a pure Sumatran named Chang, Sr., was born in the wild in 1959, but spent most of his life in a small Southern zoo. He had a mate and produced two infants, but both the mate and his offspring died within a very short space of time. The zoo sought another companion for Chang, Sr., but she proved to be infertile and Chang's potentially valuable genetic contribution was unused for years.
Finally, as the result of the Orang utan Species Survival Plan (SSP), a scientifically-managed program designed to breed genetically healthy animals for generations into the future, Chang, Sr., came to the National Zoo. The SSP mandates that only genetically pure orangs be mated, thus trying to avoid crossing Sumatran and Bornean bloodlines. He was introduced to Pensi, one of our Sumatran females. It took her some time to become accustomed to the newcomer, but she eventually accepted him. The relationship developed, the two eventually mated, and Pensi became pregnant. The only hitch was that keepers had also observed her engaged in an unplanned breeding-in a highly unorthodox situation-with one of our other male orangs, one who was a hybrid and thus was not deemed desirable for the breeding program.
About three weeks before Pensi gave birth, Chang, Sr., died without having mated with any of the other females. So, the burning question became, would Pensi's offspring have Chang's valuable and so far unrepresented genes or would it be the son of one of our other, hybrid animals? Chang, Jr., was born on Feb. 23, 1991, and a paternity test shortly after his birth proved that Chang, Sr., was indeed the father. In addition to the delight engendered by watching an infant orang utan mature, we have the added satisfaction of knowing that through him, an important contribution will be made to perpetuate a rare genetic line. This is vital considering the shrinking habitat and population pressures that every year consume more of this species' homeland.