I love zoos, especially wildlife conservation zoos. Zoos are a wonderful opportunity to see just some of the many animal species on earth all in one location, especially more unique animals such as lions or giraffes that would be rare to see in certain parts of the world.
Children are also great for zoo visits. Seeing their wide-eyed awed expressions as they take in all the different colorful animals and species is adorable. And sometimes, some animals in the zoo give special reactions to their young visitors, such as when one lion thought a baby was one of their lion cubs.
The expressive animal featured in this zoo story is an orangutan. Orangutans are no strangers to being friendly to their visitors – one recently had a stunning reaction to meeting a burn victim at the zoo.
However, this orangutan’s reaction to meeting this curious wide-eyed baby was definitely a special one to capture.
Initially, the orangutan was doing what it does best, hanging out and relaxing in its habitat in the Denver Zoo.
But shortly after, the orangutan began to swing from its hammock around its enclosure. You can see the moment the orangutan noticed the baby in the video below. Keep your eyes open around 15 seconds in.
Once the orangutan notices the baby, he gradually moves closer, just like how Mom had brought the baby closer to the glass so the baby could get a closer look.
Within moments, the orangutan does something the zoo visitors were not expecting – he begins giving air kisses to the baby.
The orangutan didn’t blow just one kiss, but a few in a tender show of affection.
Orangutans are two exclusively Asian species of extant great apes. They are often seen in groups or flying solo, like this orangutan below.
Orangutans can be affectionate with one another and communicate through various sounds. However, when they’re annoyed, orangutans are commonly seen sucking in air through pursed lips and making a kissing sound, as well as blowing raspberries.
I don’t think that was the case for this orangutan below. I think he saw an adorable baby that looked similar to him, which brought out some parental instincts.
What a serendipitous moment for Dad to record. Now the parents have a cute memory they can show their child when they get older.
Please SHARE this cute video with your friends and family.
