An extra dose of spring sunshine will arrive at the Denver Zoo in the coming months, with Sumatran orangutan and first-time mom Hesty expecting a baby in May.
Denver Zoo orangutan Hesty is expecting her first child this spring, zoo officials announced March 26, 2026. An extra dose of spring sunshine will arrive at the Denver Zoo in the coming months, with Sumatran orangutan and first-time mom Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance officials announced Hesty’s pregnancy on Thursday and said the baby’s father, Jaya, will also be a first-time parent.
“This is an exciting milestone for the critically endangered species and an extra special moment for us as Hesty wasJaya, who moved to the zoo in 2019, and Hesty have spent time together in the past few years as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums species survival plan.Denver giraffe temporarily moves to Colorado Springs for conservation efforts“While there are always risks with first-time pregnancies, our expert teams are carefully preparing for Hesty’s birthing window and are ready to provide support if needed,” zoo leaders said Thursday. “Hesty required brief assist-rearing as an infant before reuniting with her mother, so our teams are planning for every possibility to give both mom and baby the best start.”have similar gestation cycles to humans – between 260 and 270 days, compared to 280 days for humans – and usually give birth to a single baby weighing 3 to 4.5 pounds, according to the DZCA. Orangutans carry around their babies for the first two or three years and continue to nurse them until they are six or seven years old.Denver's 97-year-old City Park bandstand 'a total loss' after overnight fireThe big melt: A look at Colorado ski resort closing dates as some areas shut down earlySheridan School District teachers plan to go on strike next weekNuggets' Nikola Jokic evaluates his season as 'inconsistent' as MVP hopes fade Cherry Creek Schools investigation targets $3 million in contracts with education firm, international travel
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