Press Release For Immediate Release Date:February 24, 2006

For More Information Contact Cynthia Shipley Supervisor Marketing & Communications At(416) 392-5938

February 24th, 2006, Toronto, Ontario: Sometime during the small hours of January 18th, 2006, Puppe the Sumatran orangutan - to the delight of Zoo officials - gave birth to a healthy male infant. Mother and baby are doing well and the baby is happily nursing. Both Puppe and her newborn are now on display in the Zoo's IndoMalaya Pavilion and were introduced to the media this morning.

"Puppe is the best mother you could ever imagine," says Keeper Jackie Craig. "She never puts her baby down - if she needs to use both her hands for anything she puts him on her head but only for a moment."

Of Puppe's five offspring only Jahe (female, 9 years old) is still at the Toronto Zoo. The gestation period of an orangutan is between 225 and 275 days. Infant orangutans stay with their mothers for 5 to 6 years and are sexually mature between the ages of 6 to 8 years.

Sumatran orangutans are endangered in the wild, where the population has declined from 12,000 in 1994 to 7,300 in 2003. Currently, the North American captive population consists of 92 animals; the goal is 240. Since Puppe, wild born in 1967, is recognized as the 2nd highest genetically valuable animal in the Species Survival Plan for orangutans (SSP), the new birth is extremely significant. In addition to participating in the Orangutan Species Survival Plan with other North American zoos, the Toronto Zoo supports organgutan conservation through the Toronto Zoo Endangered Species Fund.

Orangutans play an important part in the regeneration of their native forests through the fruits and seeds that they eat. Their disappearance may represent the loss of thousands of plant and animal species. Found only on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, where it is endangered due to illegal hunting, habitat loss and fragmentation, this arboreal species has a short stocky body, long powerful arms, and short, bowed legs. Adults are rusty red in colour. As an adult male, weighing 75 kg (165 pounds), the new baby will eventually develop characteristic cheek flanges and throat pouches.

In the near future, details of a "Name the Baby Orangutan" Contest will be released. In the meantime, on your next Zoo visit, drop by the IndoMalaya Pavilion to admire Puppe with her new baby son and to get the wheels turning over possible names!