Wired · Wired
The SSP has been coordinating breeding recommendations since 1985; every two years
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“Wired want to maintain a healthy and sustainable population that mimics the natural history of wild orangutans while ensuring successful mother-rearing of offspring,” Seltzer tells WIRED.
Key facts
- It all started in February 2025 when the Indianapolis Zoo welcomed Edi, a healthy baby boy
- Ruhana—or “Ru” for short—is one of eight orangutan babies born in a collection of US zoos since the beginning of 2025
- The SSP has been coordinating breeding recommendations since 1985; every two years, the program creates a breeding and transfer plan for animals at zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos
- After that, Weila was delivered at the Hogle Zoo in Utah in June; Bintang arrived at the Los Angeles Zoo, and in December, the Memphis Zoo welcomed Ruhana
Summary
Outside the operating room, the hallway erupts in cheers. It’s a successful delivery like any other except for one, minor, difference: The patient is an orangutan. Ruhana—or “Ru” for short—is one of eight orangutan babies born in a collection of US zoos since the beginning of 2025. “It might seem like it was all a coincidence that everyone was born at the same time, but it was carefully planned,” says Angie Selzer, a senior animal care specialist with the Fort Wayne Zoo in Indiana and the Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP) program coordinator. The SSP has been coordinating breeding recommendations since 1985; every two years, the program creates a breeding and transfer plan for animals at zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).