Featured Image Courtesy of Susan Poag/Digital Roux Photography
Twin orangutans are an incredibly rare occurrence, so the announcement by the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans of an orangutan pregnant with twins has made headlines across the globe. News broke this month that the Sumatran orangutan, Menari, who is 12 years old, is expecting twins, which are expected to be born in December or January 2022.
The twins are the first births for Menari, but the third or fourth offspring for the father, Jambi, who was brought to the zoo in 2018 from Germany.
As mentioned, twins in orangutans is extremely rare. Audubon Zoo’s senior veterinarian even stated that “Twinning is extremely rare in orangutans — there is only about a 1% chance of this happening.” The Audubon Zoo last welcomed twin orangutans back in 1985, where an orangutan named Sarah gave birth to twins, Bon Temps and Lagniappe.
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