'Miracle' Durrell orangutan leaves Jersey Zoo for new life in Germany
Video from Jersey Zoo
A nine year old Sumatran Orangutan has bid farewell to Jersey Zoo.
Kea, short for “Keajaiban”, meaning “miracle” in Indonesian, was born at Jersey Zoo on 9 June 2013 to mum, Dana and dad, Dagu.
She was given her name because the team at the zoo was told that Dana would never be able to conceive after her previous pregnancy where she suffered complications that resulted in a stillborn infant.
After this, Dana was left with blocked fallopian tubes, making her infertile. However, thanks to the skill of local Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, Dr Neil MacLachlan, Dana was able to conceive against the odds and gave birth to her “miracle baby."
Kea, who is known for being "cheeky and inquisitive" will start a new life at Dortmund Zoo in Germany where she will be joining a new group of orangutans.
Durrell's Deputy Head of Mammals Gordon Hunt, who has cared for Kea, says it is important for her to move on: “In the wild, young orangutans stay with their mothers until they are approximately eight years old, as they would then leave to live independently and eventually breed and have offspring of their own.
"In captivity, we try to mimic what would happen in the wild whereby the youngster leaves at around the age of eight or nine. This is the natural break point for them, and by about 15 years of age, females are ready to have offspring of their own.
“At Kea’s new home in Germany, she’ll be moving to a similar set-up to Jersey Zoo, with a lovely enclosure and nice group of orangutans, including another youngster of a similar age. We think she’ll have a good life out there and hope she will eventually breed and have babies of her own.
“It’s always sad when an animal you spend so much time with moves on to a new home, but it’s essential that she does as it’s all part of her growing up. I think Dana and the rest of the group will miss Kea, and it will certainly have an impact on the keepers who have cared for her over the years, but the group will settle down after a little while, and we have hopes for more baby orangutans at the zoo in the future.”