Upon learning of Mujur’s pregnancy, Dublin Zoo staff were thrilled at the opportunity to help conserve the endangered orangutan species. However, concerns arose over Mujur’s previous struggles to bond with her newborns.
The 19-year-old lacked maternal instincts and had been unsuccessful in breastfeeding her last two infants, resulting in their unfortunate deaths in 2019 and 2022.
In preparation for her third pregnancy, the staff took proactive measures by enlisting new mothers to demonstrate breastfeeding to Mujur.
The orangutan displayed keen interest in observing the women breastfeed their babies through the glass, even mimicking some of their actions, as reported by the zoo.
Pic: Dublin Zoo
Lizzie Reeves, a midwife from the breastfeeding team at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, orchestrated a display involving 30 mothers to educate Mujur about breastfeeding.
She recounted to the Irish Times: “The initial assistance came from my friend Nora and her baby Elodi.
“Mujur promptly collected more bedding, positioned herself at the window with rapt attention on Nora. She meticulously observed and replicated Nora’s actions, which was truly astonishing.
These great apes are indigenous to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia and are categorized as “critically endangered,” primarily due to poaching and habitat destruction.
To aid Mujur’s learning process, the team also introduced videos depicting other orangutans nursing their young.
The zoo reported a significant improvement as Mujur exhibited “exemplary maternal care” after giving birth to a male infant on July 31.
Nevertheless, she struggled with positioning the infant correctly for feeding, which left the team disheartened.
Under normal circumstances, the staff avoids intervening at this stage to allow nature to take its course.
However, the newborn holds special significance due to the distinctive genetic inheritance from his late father, Sibu, an influential orangutan patriarch who passed away in February.
Subsequently, a “challenging decision” was made to separate the infant from Mujur.
At present, the team is bottle-feeding the baby until he can be transferred to specialized care at Monkey World in Dorset.
