Baby Orangutan Born in Singapore Zoo

Thursday, 7th March 2013

BABY ORANGUTAN BORN IN SINGAPORE ZOO – Of all the Apes the Orangutan is often referred to as one of the most human like of the species.  When it comes to the babies it is so plain to see why humans have such a close affinity with them and why most of us, when we hear of the atrocities against them in Borneo and Indonesia, we get so very angry.

I challenge anyone to look at the photograph below without it melting your heart, as Veera, the baby Orangutan, gives the photographer such a cheeky look.

Veera was born in Singapore Zoo in January 2013 and is already getting up to plenty of playful mischief.  If you have never been to Singapore, then this might be an excellent excuse to take the trip of a lifetime, for Singapore is like no other place on earth and no matter how many times I visit Singapore it still fills me with amazement and wonder.  I will stay that I am extremely lucky as although I was born in the United Kingdom I have been living in South East Asia for many years and Singapore is just an hour’s flight from my home.

Singapore boasts many wonders, but the Orangutan colony, at the zoo, is the Sumatra and Borneo Orangutan and is the largest known colony of this endangered species in the world.

It has been well documented that the Orangutan are being pushed to the brink of extinction as deforestation continues at a rapid rate across parts of South East Asia, but most notably in Borneo where people are deliberately slaughtering adults and infants in order to continue their logging practices.

It is well known that Orangutans are highly intelligent animals and are able to use a number of tools for multiple purposes.  If you have ever wondered why Orangutans look so much like us as a species then look to their DNA as they share approximately 97% with humans – in my view killing an Orangutan is tantamount to killing another human being, if not worse considering how defenseless they are – it is in my view no better than slaughtering a child.

While the respective governments have been warned at the plight of the Orangutan there appears to be little being done about the ongoing slaughter and it is perceived that the regions Orangutan population could be extinct within 10 years if positive measures are not implemented now.