Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo mourns orangutan pregnancy loss after near-term

Woodland Park Zoo announced the heartbreaking loss of a near-term orangutan baby this week. 

Batu, a 15-year-old Sumatran orangutan, had carried the fetus almost to term, but an ultrasound during a medical exam revealed it was no longer viable.

This would have been the first orangutan birth at the zoo in 35 years. Batu is recovering from anesthesia following the procedure to deliver the fetus.

pregnant orangutan at zoo

Batu, a pregnant orangutan at Woodland Park Zoo, recently lost her baby after carrying the fetus nearly to term.  (Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo)

"This is a monumental loss for our zoo family," said Roger Sweeney, the zoo’s chief zoological officer.

The zoo’s veterinary team had closely monitored Batu's pregnancy, with routine ultrasounds showing positive development until recently. Batu’s care included a specialized prenatal diet and non-invasive training sessions for medical imaging.

The zoo remains hopeful for Batu’s future, emphasizing her resilience and potential for another pregnancy. The zoo currently houses four orangutans as part of its efforts to protect the critically endangered species.

Sumatran orangutans, native to Southeast Asia, face severe threats from habitat loss and poaching, making each birth critical to the species' survival.

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