US zoos increase orangutan numbers through breeding program
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
US zoos welcomed eight critically endangered orangutan babies since the start of 2025 as part of a coordinated breeding program.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) zoos developed the program over decades to support orangutan conservation. These orangutans will live in zoos, where keepers hope they will educate visitors about threats like climate change and deforestation. The breeding program also benefits orangutans in the wild.
Researchers at AZA zoos study orangutan health and welfare, then share this knowledge with conservation teams working in Southeast Asia. Felicity Oram, co-director of the Borneo-based OrangJUGA, used research on orangutan teeth to improve care for young orangutans rescued from the illegal pet trade. Zoos consider the orangutans ambassadors for their species, helping people connect with the challenges facing these primates in their native habitats.
The program represents a long-term effort to protect orangutans from extinction by building a strong, healthy population both in captivity and in the wild.
