Kawan delivers healthy girl
Hogle Zoo to provide 24/7 hand-rearing care
On Saturday, June 21, 2025, Bornean orangutan Kawan (24) gave birth to a healthy female baby at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. She arrived naturally at 9:30 AM, weighing just over three pounds.
Throughout Kawan’s pregnancy, Hogle Zoo prepared for several outcomes, including the possibility that she might not care for the newborn as she had not for her first infant at Henry Vilas Zoo. Both zoos provided maternal training and support in hopes of preparing Kawan.
Animal care in action
In the hours after the birth, Kawan displayed gentle and attentive behavior toward her newborn. She carried her and showed interest in interacting with her. These were encouraging signs. However, the care team did not observe successful nursing, which is essential within the first 24 hours. We provided positive reinforcement to encourage Kawan to nurse and remained hopeful. After close observation, it became clear that intervention was necessary for the infant’s health.
With guidance from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP) and after many thoughtful discussions about the baby’s best interest, Hogle Zoo decided to hand-rear the infant. She is now receiving round-the-clock care from her dedicated team. Kawan’s motherhood journey has been complex. We’re proud of the maternal interest she showed and the effort she made trying to care for this infant.
Our team is focused on Kawan’s wellbeing and continues to provide her with around-the-clock care and a supportive environment as she recovers from delivery and adjusts to the changes many mothers experience after birth. Guests may see her spending time with orangutans Mia and Acara, or Tuah.
Newborn care
At birth, we were pleased with the infant’s strong grip, appropriate body weight, and ability to take bottles well. She has faced some challenges in consistently eating and gaining weight.
The team’s focus is now on stabilizing and ensuring the infant’s wellbeing, monitoring her weight gain, and cheering when she gains a few grams. Several tiny blood samples have been taken to check her glucose level and other blood values. We are using a variety of bottles, nipples, formulas, and other supportive medicines to provide her with the hydration and nutrition she needs.
Our experienced staff has successfully raised a handful of baby primates, but we can’t predict the outcome yet for this orangutan. We continually refine and adapt our techniques with a passionate, hard-working, and intelligent staff working tirelessly to give this baby the very best chance.
Hand-rearing care
As orangutan mothers move through the trees and build nests, their infants cling to them constantly, even while sleeping. Because of this natural instinct, Hogle Zoo’s caregivers will provide 24/7 physical contact and support for the newborn. The team wears specialized vests designed to imitate orangutan fur, which encourages the infant to grab and hang on naturally.
Caregivers wear personal protective equipment, such as face masks, and are trained to mimic orangutan mothering behavior. They track all feedings, bowel movements, and development.
Foster process
In the future, animal care hopes to place the infant with a foster orangutan at Hogle Zoo. We’ve begun working with female orangutan Acara to reinforce the maternal behaviors she developed while fostering her brother, Tuah, in 2014, and may enable her to become this infant’s caregiver. Her fostering experience was a consideration for Kawan’s SSP-recommended breeding transfer to Hogle Zoo.
“My vision for the next steps would be to see Acara pick right back up with her foster behaviors and successfully foster this baby with the support of the keeper staff,” shares Hallyburton.
Described as intelligent and motivated by her care team, Acara has retained some of her previous maternal training. Using positive reinforcement, established training, and protected contact, the team introduced Acara to the infant.
Acara has shown interest and interacted in a gentle manner. Her behavior will guide this progression, providing our team with valuable insight into her comfort level and willingness to become a caregiver.
Hogle Zoo’s teams will be working around the clock to care for the orangutans as we navigate this delicate process.
The infant will stay behind the scenes for several months and will not be viewable to the public. Stay tuned for updates.
Animal Wellbeing
Hogle Zoo is deeply grateful to the staff and volunteers for their dedicated planning, training, 24/7 care, and support. While we were hopeful Kawan would be able to raise and nurse her infant, our team was fully prepared for any outcome. Planning a range of animal needs and providing exceptional maternal and infant care are essential to Hogle Zoo’s commitment to animal wellbeing.
Orangutan conservation
Through our commitment to the AZA Orangutan SSP, we are proud to contribute to this critically endangered species. Bornean orangutan populations have declined by more than 50% in the past 60 years, primarily due to habitat loss. For more than a decade, Hogle Zoo has partnered with the Hutan-Kingabatangan Orangutan Conservation Program to restore vital rainforest habitats.
The palm oil industry is a significant contributor to deforestation in orangutan habitats. The community can download the Palm Oil Scan App to identify which products use sustainable palm oil and make orangutan friendly shopping choices.
Infant FAQs
Throughout Kawan’s pregnancy, Hogle Zoo prepared for several outcomes, including the possibility that she might not care for the newborn as she had not for her first infant at Henry Vilas Zoo. Both zoos provided maternal training and support in hopes of preparing Kawan.
Kawan showed gentle and attentive behavior toward her newborn after birth, carrying her and showing interest in interacting with her. However, the care team did not observe successful nursing, which is essential within the first 24 hours.
We provided positive reinforcement to encourage Kawan to nurse and remained hopeful. After close observation, it became clear that intervention was necessary for the infant’s health.
With guidance from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP) and after many thoughtful discussions about the baby’s best interest, Hogle Zoo decided to hand-rear the infant. She is now receiving round-the-clock care from her dedicated team.
At birth, we were pleased with the infant’s strong grip, appropriate body weight, and ability to take bottles well. She has faced some challenges in consistently eating and gaining weight.
Our focus is now on stabilizing and ensuring the infant’s wellbeing, monitoring her weight gain, and cheering when she gains a few grams. We have taken several tiny blood samples to check her glucose level and other blood values. We are using a variety of bottles, nipples, formulas, and other supportive medicines to provide her with the hydration and nutrition she needs.
We have experienced staff who have successfully raised a handful of baby primates, but we can’t predict the outcome yet for this orangutan. We continually refine and adapt our techniques with a passionate, hard-working, and intelligent staff working tirelessly to give this baby the very best chance.
Our team is focused on her wellbeing and continues to provide her with around-the-clock care and a supportive environment as she recovers from delivery and adjusts to the changes many mothers experience after birth. We’re proud of the maternal interest she showed and the effort she made trying to care for this infant.
Guests may see her spending time with orangutans Mia and Acara, or Tuah.
The baby is receiving 24-hour care from a dedicated team. Caregivers wear personal protective equipment, like face masks, and are trained to mimic orangutan mothering behavior. They track all feedings, bowel movements, and development.
As orangutan mothers move through the trees and build nests, their infants cling to them constantly, even while sleeping. Because of this natural instinct, Hogle Zoo’s caregivers will provide 24/7 physical contact and support for the newborn. The team wears specialized vests designed to imitate orangutan fur.
We don’t have plans to reintroduce Kawan to the infant at this time. In the hours after the birth, Kawan showed attentive behavior toward her newborn. However, the care team did not observe successful nursing, which is essential for the newborn.
We’ve begun working with female orangutan Acara to reinforce the maternal behaviors she developed while fostering her brother, Tuah, in 2014, and may enable her to become this infant’s caregiver. Her fostering experience was a consideration for Kawan’s SSP-recommended transfer to Hogle Zoo.
In some cases, even male orangutans can serve as nurturing fosters, and our teams will consider every possibility to ensure the baby is well cared for.
Using positive reinforcement, established training, and protected contact, the team introduced female orangutan Acara to the infant. Acara has shown interest and interacted in a gentle manner. Her behavior will guide this progression, providing our team with valuable insight into her comfort level and willingness to become a caregiver.
The baby will stay behind the scenes for several months as she receives around the clock care from our team. The goal is to eventually try to place her with a foster orangutan who can provide social and developmental support. Stay tuned for updates!
Kawan came to Hogle Zoo on a breeding recommendation with both males, Mia and Tuah—either of which could be the dad! Our team will later confirm the father through a DNA test.
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