As any mother can attest, giving birth is one of the most difficult and utterly amazing things in the world. One moment you’re life is focused on yourself, the next, you would do anything to keep your new bundle of joy happy!
That feeling is exactly what this brave female orangutan went through during her delivery! Thankfully, conservationists from the Durrell Wildlife Conservative Trust set up a hidden camera and was able to capture her magnificent birth on film…
Even though many of us think of orangutans as silly monkeys, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, orangutans share roughly 97 percent of the same DNA as humans.
They also can be taught to do “human” activities like reading, writing, communicating with sign language and spoken words, as well as keeping themselves clean! The similarities between humans and orangutans make it easy to understand why their birthing process is just like ours.
These compassionate animals protect their young from the moment the infant arrives. They fall in love with their babies while they’re still growing in utero.
Female orangutans only give birth every 7-9 years, but their gestational period is just about nine months. It’s another example of how similar they are to humans.
As soon as their baby arrives, they clean off the fluid and make sure they’re breathing properly. They tend to the umbilical cord and nuzzle them, too.
This detailed birthing process is what the Durrell Wildlife volunteers were able to get on camera for the very first time! The moment Mama was done giving birth, she licked her new baby clean and rushed over to the humans to show them her new bundle of joy.
Anyone can see how proud she is of her newborn! It truly is love at first sight no matter whether you are a human or an animal and this video is proof of that.
The sweet baby orangutan latches on to her mom instantly, wrapping her arms around her neck and gazing up at her face. The baby will continue to hold tightly to mom as they begin to move around.
Watch this historic moment unfold by pressing “play” on the video below. It’s so beautiful and an honor to be able to watch!
Please be aware that this clip includes some graphic material – especially
during the birthing process.
during the birthing process.
