Dublin Zoo (Ireland) has requested the help of nursing mothers to promote bonding between a female orangutan born on July 31 and her cub. As reported The Irish TimesMujur's pregnancy was not foreseen. The crew didn't notice that a male named Sibu successfully mated with her before he died a few months later.

The zoo says that orangutan mothers play a crucial role in the development of their young during the first three years of life. A press release Published this Monday. “He is completely dependent on his mother for food and transportation. He clung to her as she walked around and nursed. » But Mujur failed to meet the needs of her two former cubs, leading to their deaths. So when this third pregnancy was announced, the zoo hired Lizzie Reeves, a midwife and lactation specialist at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin.

An attentive viewer

One to two hour sessions were held every morning with 30 lactating mothers before the birth of the orangutan cubs. The goal was to teach Mujur proper breastfeeding techniques, exploiting great ape behavior to facilitate learning. Chairs were arranged in front of the security glass and some women even removed their clothes so that Mujur could see their activities clearly.

“She kept looking at me and making hand movements as time passed, it was magical,” says one of the mothers who participated in the experience. Breastfeeding worked for me, but I know it doesn't always work for other women. I felt like I was passing the torch to Mujur. As part of this educational experience, the zoo also showed videos of other orangutans feeding their young, the zoo said in its press release.

An important event

Despite the efforts and investment of the volunteers, Mujur was unfortunately unable to breastfeed her baby. “She was fine, she held him and nursed the baby, but she couldn't breastfeed him,” the staff explained.

Given the genetic profile of the cub's father, which was “considered very important to the European orangutan breeding program,” the zoo decided to bottle-feed the cub. “The animal care team at Dublin Zoo are currently caring for the cub 24 hours a day” The cub is fine. In a few weeks he will be transferred to the Monkey World Monkey Nursery in England.

Zoo veterinarian Niamh McGill highlights the importance of orangutan birth. “Orangutans are endangered in the wild,” she recalls. We know that their reproductive rate is low, with females giving birth only once every three to five years. So this is a very important event. “