The zoo is a magical place for anyone who loves animals. The colors, sounds, and maybe the smells (the stinky ones might just add to the experience).
Going to the zoo as a kid widens the world for you and shows that there are so many beautiful and wonderful creatures out there to learn about and discover!
That love of animals can sometimes even translate into a desire to protect and love them through a career in the field.
One little baby had the experience of a lifetime, although she definitely won’t remember it!
Darren and Lennice Unwin decided to head to the zoo a few years ago and captured one of those “magical moments” on camera!
The couple had just had their baby (she was 5 months old at the time) and thought it might be a good place to hang out for the day.
The couple walked around until they came to the orangutan exhibit, where they saw one of them near the display window.
Most of the time, the animals at the zoo are distant and hard to see!
They will occasionally hang out near the windows, but it’s often not too common as they don’t like the disturbances that humans can make.
This day, however, was a bit different.
Indi the orangutan decided he wanted to say hello to the humans watching him.
Orangutans are some of the smartest animals on the planet. They only live wild on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra and deforestation has caused them to become critically endangered.
With so few of them left (around 150,000 total), we may be one of the last generations to see them while they are still in the wild!
While little Indi was at the glass, Lennice decided to take their baby up to say hello.
Incredibly, the little primate didn’t leave when they approached the glass! Lennice walked right up and showed their newborn to the curious animal and the reaction was truly wonderful. Indi was amazed!
If you’ve ever seen a human look at a newborn with a sense of wonder or beauty, you will understand how Indi looked at the baby.
When Indi saw the child, he couldn’t help but let out a little smile!
The camera is a bit dark, but it’s clear that he was intensely curious about the little baby before him.
It makes sense, too. Orangutans have a special relationship with their own moms!
Young orangutans stay with their mother until they reach around 7 years old. They spend this time learning everything from her – including what’s good to eat.
Infants are so attached to their mums that they ride on her body and sleep in her nest until they develop their own skills to survive on their own.
Because of this long learning curve, orangutans only have young once every 7 – 9 years, which is the longest birth interval of any land mammal. – WWF
Maybe it was Indi remembering his own relationship with his mom that caused him to smile – we probably won’t ever know!
Check out the sweet moment in the video below!
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