Delima is a mum again

KUCHING: A third baby orang utan has been born here within just over a week.

The Sarawak Forestry Corporation said an orang utan named Delima gave birth to a female at the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre on Monday. It said in a statement that Delima went missing for a week but showed up a week later with the baby. The baby orang utan weighed about 1.5kg.

Delima had previously given birth twice before to a male named Annuar in 1999 and female named Selina in 2004.

No name has been given to the newborn orang utan, the corporation said.

On Feb 3, two baby orang utan were born three-and-a-half hours apart at the Matang Wildlife Centre.

The babies, both male, were born to a 16-year-old orang utan named Chiam and a 13-year-old orang utan named Ganti respectively.

The births took place at the centre’s clinical facility and was witnessed by its conservation team.

The Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, located within the boundaries of the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, conducts an orang utan rehabilitation programme as well as conservation of other endangered wildlife.

It is also a centre for the study of orang utan biology and behaviour besides providing a safe haven for semi-wild orang utan which have undergone rehabilitation.

There are 25 orang utan in the reserve.