Cleveland Zoo Asks for Help Naming Newborn Baby Orangutan

CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO ANNOUNCES BIRTH OF BORNEAN ORANGUTAN
CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo announced its first successful orangutan birth at the zoo since 2014 when a Bornean orangutan was born April 28.

An Ohio zoo is the home for a newborn orangutan and it is asking for the public's help naming the baby.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo announced its first successful orangutan birth at the zoo since 2014 when a Bornean orangutan was born April 28. The baby is the fifth since the park opened in 1992, the zoo announced.

"We're thrilled to announce the birth of our new male orangutan, who will serve as an important ambassador for the decreasing number of Bornean orangutans in the wild," Dr. Chris Kuhar, the executive director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, in a statement.

The zoo is welcoming name suggestions for the newborn. Guests are able to make their suggestions by making a donation in support of orangutan conservation and selecting their favorite of three names: Zaki, which means "pure", Rimba, which means "jungle, or Halim, which means "gentle."

Orangutans are threatened by illegal hunting, habitat destruction, and palm oil plantations. The species' wild population has decreased by more than 50 percent in just 15 years.

Votes can be cast at FutureForWildlife.org.

Related Stories