New Arrival at Vienna Zoo Schönbrunn: Young Male Orangutan Has Arrived

There is a new male addition to the Borneo orangutans at the Vienna Zoo Schönbrunn: Following the passing of the nearly 50-year-old male from Schönbrunn, a nine-year-old male from the Dutch zoo Apenheul moved in at the beginning of May, in coordination with the European Endangered Species Programme. "The first meeting was exceptionally calm. The dynamics within the group are very peaceful," reported Director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck on Thursday.

The orangutan was eagerly awaited at the zoo. "We hope that the new male will provide offspring in a few years, once our two young animals are weaned. With our young females that joined in 2020 and their female offspring, we have already laid an important foundation for a stable breeding group with a balanced age structure," said Hering-Hagenbeck.

Young Male Orangutan Moved into Vienna Zoo Schönbrunn

Initially, the young orangutan had the opportunity to acclimate to his new home in a separate area. From there, he could already make visual contact with the Schönbrunn females and their offspring. After a few days, the first meeting in the shared facility took place. "We prepared it intensively," said Hering-Hagenbeck.

Adult male orangutans typically develop prominent cheek pads around their faces. This sexual characteristic, which develops at different ages depending on the male, is still absent in the newcomer. The long, shaggy coat typical of males will also grow later. Currently, he still closely resembles the females in appearance. In the wild, all orangutan species are threatened with extinction due to the loss of their natural habitats in Borneo and Sumatra.

(APA/Red)

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