How a Secret Orangutan Breeding Program Is Creating a Baby Boom

Eight orangutan infants have been born across U.S. zoos since early 2025, the result of the Orangutan Species Survival Plan’s coordinated breeding and transfer strategy that matches genetically underrepresented lines while minimizing relatedness. The program uses human-style obstetrics—including prenatal vitamins, birth-control, and occasional C-sections—and intensive maternal-training protocols to ensure successful rearing, even employing foster mothers when biological mothers fail to bond.