An endangered orangutan was born at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo last week.
It is the first born of a 13-year-old orangutan named Suga, Ynet reported.
Zoo personnel still do not know whether the baby is male or female, veterinarian Dr. Nili Avni Magen was quoted as saying.
“It takes time because the baby is still on her. We do not want to disturb them, so we are only observing her from a distance. Sinta, the other female, was with her throughout the birth, and that is very important for the learning process. We were happy she could be with her and experience the birth by observing, very similar to in nature,” Avni Magen said.
A tiny new life at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo 🧡
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) April 27, 2026
An endangered baby orangutan just dropped - and honestly, already stealing hearts (and probably snacks).
Big congrats to the new mama 🐒 - Israel just got a little cuter.
📸 Shir Shefer pic.twitter.com/fURJkxok7j
The birth of orangutans is relatively rare, as the species has the longest birth interval of any land mammal.
Females give birth once every seven to nine years, and in some cases even longer than that. Gestation lasts about eight and a half months, with first pregnancies averaging at ages 10 to 12.
As an endangered species, births of orangutans are significant.
Avni Magen was quoted as saying that only one orangutan birth was recorded in the past year through the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, which has more than 400 members in Europe, West Asia and beyond.
