Guests may see Weila and Acara together in the Great Apes lobby or outdoor orangutan habitat. Swing by Great Apes to say hello! Remember throughout the day, they may be napping, choosing to be inside, or receiving extra care behind the scenes, so explore the rest of the zoo and swing back later. 

Weila’s hair blends in with Acara’s, so keep an eye out for their favorite spots. Inside, the pair like to nap on the shelf at the back of the middle habitat. Outside, they prefer to hang out in the climbing structure and hammocks.   

Please help us maintain a calm environment by keeping your voice down and avoiding flash photography. 

Acara has experience as a foster. In 2014, she successfully helped raise her younger brother, Tuah. Her fostering experience was a consideration for Kawan’s Species Survival Plan (SSP)-recommended transfer to Hogle Zoo.  

Animal care teams have been working with Acara to reinforce the maternal behaviors she developed while fostering Tuah, which help her to be Weila’s caregiver. 

Since this is still a new relationship, our team is taking things one day at a time. At times, Acara has shown she may want breaks, not because she isn’t interested in Weila, but because she has extra energy and sometimes wants to play with other orangutans.  

When that happens, we step in to ensure Weila’s needs are met. The goal is for Acara to provide as much care as she can and wants to, with humans supporting as needed. This balance may change over time as both Acara and Weila continue to adjust. 

Orangutan babies typically stay with their mothers for around eight years—one of the longest parent-offspring relationships among mammals! During that time, they learn essential skills and behaviors that help them thrive. 

Acara has done very well settling back into her foster role and is doing a great job. We are listening and attentive to Acara’s cues on her comfort level with her fostering role. She has continued to choose her foster role with Weila, including keeping her close and bringing her forward for bottle feedings. She is learning Weila’s little quirks and adjusting to them on her own really well.

Acara is understandably adjusting to the schedule of an infant, something parents and infant caregivers can attest to! She gets up throughout the day and night to bring Weila to the training doors for her care team to give Weila a bottle. The team continues to take their experience together day by day to best suit the needs of both orangutans. 

• 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.  

• After birth, Kawan showed attentive behavior toward Weila, but nursing didn’t occur, which is critical in the first 24 hours. We provided positive reinforcement to encourage Kawan to nurse and remained hopeful.  

• 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. 

• After close observation, it became clear that intervention was necessary for the infant’s health.  Kawan’s disinterest in nursing was the key detail that informed our decision to hand-rear Weila.  

• Our goal was to place Weila with a foster orangutan as soon as possible. It’s important for young orangutans to grow up learning from other orangutans. While our care team was able to provide round-the-clock support in her first weeks, human attachment can make it harder for an infant to successfully join her orangutan family later on. As soon as Weila was stable and developing well, we placed her with Acara so she could bond with and learn from another orangutan. 

Because Kawan didn’t nurse in the critical 24 hours after birth and her training history suggests she would not be willing to participate in the frequency or duration of voluntary training sessions necessary for bottle feeding, we decided to hand-rear Weila and place her with experienced foster orangutan, Acara, as soon as possible.  

Kawan and Acara have very different personalities and motivations when it comes to working with their care team. To receive proper nutrition at this time, Weila requires eight bottle feed sessions per day, each lasting 15–30 minutes. Compared to Kawan, Acara is significantly more motivated to participate in these bottle feed training sessions and voluntary interactions with keepers. Because of that, she is better suited to support bottle-feeding, where close collaboration with the care team is essential. 

Animal training, like bottle feeding sessions, is always voluntary at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. Resident animals can always choose whether or not to participate. Learn more about training at https://www.hoglezoo.org/enrichment-and-training. 

Weila and Kawan may be around each other at some points, but the timing and details have not been set yet. Currently, our priority is helping Acara and Weila adjust to their new routine, ensuring Weila consistently receives her bottles and reaches her developmental milestones. 

Kawan is doing well, interacting with her care team and spending time around orangutans Mia and Tuah. Our team is focused on her wellbeing and continues to provide her with around-the-clock care and a supportive environment as she adjusts to the changes many mothers experience after birth. 

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 confirm the father later through a DNA test. The team is focused on supporting Weila and Acara’s fostering journey. 

• While we understand hand-rearing care may look fun, the best outcome is for babies to stay with their mothers without the need for intervention. Hand rearing is never our first choice for babies under our care, but we understood it was a possibility given Kawan’s history. Hand-rearing an orangutan takes an incredible amount of hard work and specialized training. Weila’s care team is selected based on previous experience and expertise in non-human primate care.  Caregivers are trained and supervised to imitate orangutan mothering behavior and track all feedings, bowel movements, and development. 

• Primates should not be kept as pets because they are highly intelligent, social animals with complex physical and psychological needs that cannot be met in a home setting. Primates can pose serious risks to human health and safety, transmitting diseases and potentially becoming aggressive as they mature.  

• Private ownership spreads misinformation about what these animals require and fuels the illegal wildlife trade. More than 60 percent of primates are threatened with extinction, and the pet trade is a significant contributor to this threat. 

• Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited organizations, like Hogle Zoo, support the Captive Primate Safety Act as a critical step toward protecting these species in the wild and under human care. Learn more at https://www.aza.org/connect-stories/stories/primates-are-not-pets-the-need-for-the-captive-primate-safety-act.  

Protecting animals in the wild begins with the wellbeing of the animals under our care, and we believe that encouraging animals to thrive will best enable connections and inspire action. Every day, a dedicated team of zoo experts, including veterinarians, educators, keepers, scientists, technicians, and various other specialists, work together to ensure the animals at Hogle Zoo experience positive wellbeing. Learn more at https://www.hoglezoo.org/wellbeing.  

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.