Baby orangutan Ru, and others like her, may just be the key to the survival of the species
A baby colobus monkey is also a recent addition to the Memphis Zoo primate family. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Just seconds after baby orangutan Ruhana was born at the Memphis Zoo on Dec. 16, the 4-pound baby faced a critical moment.
As Ruhana came into this world via C-section, her mother, Jahe, was still under anesthesia and wasn’t able to pull her baby to her as she would after a natural birth.
So Ruhana’s body temperature wasn’t where it should be (close to a human’s at about 98 degrees). The huge birthing team, composed of zoo staff as well as human medical personnel, wrapped Ruhana in a towel and immediately moved her to an incubator.
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Jody Callahan
Jody Callahan graduated with degrees in journalism and economics from what is now known as the University of Memphis. He has covered news in Memphis for more than 25 years.
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