Orangutans are closely related to humans. Warning: the video below is a bit graphic, especially when the Orangutan gives birth to her baby.
Looking at their appearance, you may say that we are a lot more different than we are alike. When you see the way orangutans act with each other, how they care for their young, how they communicate, and how they use tools for various tasks, you can see that they are actually very similar to people.
When a mother orangutan was caught on video giving birth to her baby, it was a beautiful moment. In fact, it was the first time an orangutan had ever been captured on video giving birth. The way she cradles her baby and cares for it as soon as it is born is touching and mimics the way humans care for their own newborns.
The mother orangutan crawls into her nest when she feels she is about to give birth.
It seems to be a fairly quick and easy delivery. There’s no doctor or nursing team. There are no hospital beds or pain medications; this mom has to take things into her own hands – literally.
As the baby crowns, the mother puts her hand down to catch it as it comes out. As soon as her baby is out, she starts to work on getting it cleaned up. Human mothers have the benefit of nurses washing their baby and making it presentable before it is handed back to them. The orangutan mom has to do it all herself. There’s no time to rest or recover from delivery; she has a baby to take care of now.
She licks the baby to remove all the mucus and birthing material from it.
She focuses on the baby’s face first to make sure none of its airways are blocked and it can breathe OK on its own. The mother doesn’t have washcloths and bathtubs; she just relies on her instincts and does what she can to care for her baby.
Once the baby is clean and seems to be breathing and moving around on its own, she pulls it close to her and starts loving on it.
She holds it near and continues to kiss on it and check it for any problems. The baby appears hungry, so she allows it to nurse. The mother will carry her baby around with her for months and nurse it whenever it is hungry.
When she feels that her baby is safe and comfortable, she decides to show it to the people filming her.
She is clearly proud of her baby and she has worked hard to bring it into this world. Just like any proud mother, she holds it up and wants the approval of the humans who are a part of her daily life.
She will groom it, teach it to communicate, show it how to eat solid foods, and protect it from other orangutans.
She will do everything a human mother will do for her children. From watching this video, it is clear that orangutans not only come into the world the same way as human babies but also are raised in much of the same manner.
This mom seems like she is already off to a good start and will do well with her new baby. Both she and the baby are living at the Durrell Wildlife Conservative Trust, a conservation organization that strives to save species from extinction and provides a sanctuary and breeding center for endangered species. They seem to be doing well, and hopefully, there will be more babies for the mom and the rescue in the future.
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