ATLANTA — Zoo Atlanta is adding a new member to its family: a baby orangutan named Keju.
The 6-month-old female Bornean orangutan comes from the Dane County Henry Vilas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin.
The zoo says in the coming days, the infant will have an opportunity to meet Madu, a 32-year-old female Sumatran orangutan who has successfully fostered three youngsters over the past 13 years.
Keju has received round-the-clock care from the team at Madison zoo since her birth on April 9.
The zoo says when workers determined that Keju's biological mother was not likely to provide appropriate maternal care for her newborn – a situation that is not uncommon for first-time orangutan mothers – the Orangutan Species Survival Plan recommended that Keju be transferred to a location with an experienced surrogate.
"We're delighted about welcoming baby Keju to the Zoo Atlanta family. We commend the team of caregivers at Dane County Henry Vilas Zoo for their extraordinary commitment in ensuring that she is a healthy infant who has received the best care possible over these first several months of her life," said Lori Perkins, Vice President of Collections at Zoo Atlanta and the Chair of the Orangutan SSP.
The zoo says that Madu has no biological offspring of her own, but she is a proven mother with an outstanding track record for rearing her three foster sons: Remy, 4; Dumadi, 8; and Bernas, 13. Bernas now resides at the Denver Zoo. With her three previous foster infants, Madu was trained to bring an infant forward to receive regular bottle feedings from human caregivers, providing all other aspects of maternal care herself.