Vienna, Austria – A nine-year-old male orangutan from the Dutch Apenheul Zoo has arrived at Vienna Zoo, bringing hope for future offspring and new beginnings.

The transfer was arranged in coordination with the European Endangered Species Breeding Program, following the 2023 death of the zoo’s nearly 50-year-old male orangutan.

After settling into his own area, the young male was able to see the resident females and their offspring. A few days later, the first calm and peaceful interaction took place in the shared enclosure.

“The dynamic within the group is very peaceful,” said Zoo Director Dr. Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck. “The animals continually approach one another.”

The zoo hopes he will produce offspring in the coming years, after the current young orangutans are weaned.

Though he currently resembles the females in appearance, he is expected to develop the cheek ridges and shaggy coat typical of adult males.

“In the wild, orangutans are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss,” said Dr. Folko Balfanz, the zoo’s zoological curator.

Vienna Zoo has been supporting Borneo’s HUTAN project since 2021. The project creates corridors between forest areas to help wildlife move freely and reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Over five years of monitoring in the Keruak Wildlife Corridor has recorded around 120 species, proving that reconnecting habitats is working.

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