Sleep when the Baby Sleeps ...

If you’ve had a baby, you’ve heard this advice: sleep when the baby sleeps! But like all new mommies, you also have to EMBRACE THE NAP!

Just like Mommy!

It’s never too early to start thinking about your child’s education when you’re a parent … and Ibu is no exception!

Ibu brings Khaleesi to her training sessions and faces the infant toward the keepers. Training is designed to stimulate the animal’s physical and mental well-being and to help animals’ and animals care staff form trust-based bonds.

Ibu has a strong bond with her keepers, evidenced by her trusting them to cut Khaleesi’s umbilical cord when she was born on April 23, 2015. Now, she’s bringing Khaleesi with her to the morning and noon training sessions so Khaleesi can learn from mommy (and the trainers)!

Orangutan mommies are the caretakers and teachers of their young – babies learn everything from their moms, including how to eat, drink, potty-train, be independent, climb the right trees, travel through the trees, gather and use their own tools, how to be cautious of predator animals, and more.

Ibu positions Khaleesi on the orangutan climbing mesh to face her trainers. The trainers go through each verbal and hand cue- mommy first, then baby. Khaleesi cannot perform any of the training exercises like Ibu does just yet – because she is still an infant – but she’s observing, focusing and learning!

Khaleesi (and mommy Ibu allow the trainers to palpate baby’s limbs, tummy, mouth and gums. Training occurs twice daily so Khaleesi (and mommy Ibu too, since she’s very protective of her baby) are comfortable with routine checkups by the Zoo staff.

Though Khaleesi doesn’t have teeth yet, her gums are checked daily. Zoo staff is monitoring the baby’s dental development in order to contribute to worldwide conservation research. The research is helping to improve age estimations of orangutans observed in the wild and orphaned orangutans in rehabilitation facilities in South East Asia, whose dates of birth are usually unknown.

While Zoo staff needs to know when her teeth will start to break through for research, this also helps the Zoo make sure Khaleesi has healthy oral development.

Baby's first week on exhibit!

Here's the highlights from Khaleesi's first week on exhibit. 

Bonding with Daddy Butch

The keeper staff is working with Butch Ibu and baby on daddy introductions. Similarly to when Ibu and Butch first met, the introductions take place through a mesh partition.

Throughout these initial mommy and baby bonding days, Butch had access to see Ibu and Khaleesi, but the partition is the closest he physically has been to the two girls since the baby was born. Ibu loves showing off her baby – and showing Khaleesi to daddy Butch is no exception. Ibu holds the baby up to the mesh partition for Butch to see Khaleesi. Like their first introductions, Ibu is more assertive, while Butch remains shy in their partitioned meetings. Butch continues to watch mommy and baby daily.

While Ibu was first to touch Butch when they were first introduced through mesh, he was first to physically connect to her as they are reintroduced as parents. Ibu rested her fingers through the mesh, reaching toward Butch. He responded by gently resting his mouth to her hands. They stayed connected for a moment. As the introduction process continues, the orangutans grow closer - and get closer to being on exhibit together.  

ICYMI - Ibu and Khaleesi make their Zoo debut

Check out these photos from The El Paso Times and El Diario from their coverage of Ibu and Khaleesi's debut at the Zoo! 

Diana Carrillo/El Diario de El Paso

Diana Carrillo/El Diario de El Paso

RUBEN R. RAMIREZ—EL PASO TIMES

RUBEN R. RAMIREZ—EL PASO TIMES

RUBEN R. RAMIREZ—EL PASO TIMES

Come meet Baby Khaleesi!

Baby orangutan Khaleesi is ready to meet the El Paso community.

Khaleesi was born on April 23 at the El Paso Zoo to first-time parents Ibu and Butch. According to the birthing plan, Khaleesi and Ibu spent approximately four months bonding behind the scenes. This time allowed for Zoo keepers to observe both baby and mom to ensure they were doing well and baby was nursing. 

“The first few months are crucial for the baby and a first-time mom to bond,” said Griselda Martinez, Collections Supervisor. “This time is also extremely crucial for us to build the trusting bond with the baby that we already have built with Ibu. It further allowed us to put the mommy training we did with Ibu for two years prior to her pregnancy using the wood block and plush baby into action with her real baby.” 

In preparation for Khaleesi’s introduction to her new home, Zoo staff spent time baby-proofing the orangutan exhibit. Once the baby-proofing was completed, Ibu and Khaleesi spent a bit of time exploring the exhibit in private, with only Zoo staff around to allow them to get comfortable with the new surroundings. 

PLEASE NOTE: Ibu and Khaleesi are on exhibit from 9:30 a.m. to noon daily. However, they have access to their behind the scenes living spaces. Because they have access to these spaces, they may not be immediately visible. 

Sumatran orangutans are critically endangered worldwide. The birth of an orangutan is a huge milestone historic conservation achievement for the Zoo and our community, and an important contribution to the conservation of this endangered species

Baby Khaleesi touches grass for the first time

Five ways you can contribute to orangutan conservation on World Orangutan Day (and every day!)

1. Be a Consumer Conservationist 
Did you know Palm Oil deforestation is the No. 1 threat to orangutans worldwide? Be a consumer conservationist and know which products you use have palm oil. You can check food, cosmetic and toiletry labels and company websites for palm oil information and make sustainably sourced and no palm oil choices to help save orangutan habitats. Just by changing one palm oil product in your home, you help save orangutans! 

2. Visit Butch, Ibu and Khaleesi at the El Paso Zoo
At the El Paso Zoo, we advocate to end deforestation and decimation of orangutans and other species threatened by unsustainable palm oil harvesting practices. We also are on the forefront of saving the critically endangered orangutan population, both here in El Paso with the birth of Khaleesi, and in Indonesia, by putting boots on the ground to help with conservation efforts around the globe. The birth of a baby orangutan contributes to the biological diversity of a critically endangered species, while our worldwide efforts help sanctuaries and conservationists better protect wild orangutan populations. 

Dr. Vikki with veterinarian Dr. Iman and Area Manager Dhani from the Center for Orangutan Protection in Samarinda.

3. Share your savvy 
Use the hashtags #orangutanday and #palmoil when you share your support for orangutans on your social media sites. You can also share your support for your favorite palm-oil free and sustainably sourced palm oil products. Share your knowledge with your friends so we can all be consumer conservationists together and help save orangutan habitats! 

4. Become a Zoological Society Member 
Zoological Society memberships at the El Paso Zoo have many perks, and contributing to conservation is one of them! The Zoological Society has contributed more than $10,000 to orangutan conservation efforts using funds raised from its membership contributions. 

Mommy Ibu and baby Khaleesi on exhibit

5. Sign your support  
Sentiment without action does not effect change. Sign a petition protecting orangutan habitat or tweet, facebook or write your favorite brand and thank them for their sustainable palm oil practices or encourage them to take up sustainably-sourced palm oil. 

Everyone LOVES a Baby Face

Here's a sweet photo of Baby Khaleesi on her three-month birthday. This is her zoo keeper's favorite picture of the baby. 

Guess who is turning into a Thumb Sucker?

Soon after birth, baby orangutans learn to use their fingers to grip onto their mothers’ fur. An infant's grip is extremely firm, capable of supporting its own body weight with just their hands. At about one month old, the babies usually have learned how to sit upright and use their hands.

Baby Khaleesi is now sitting up, making observations and most recently, sucking her thumb !

Though the baby was more of a strawberry blond, she’s darkened to become more of a red-headed orangutan. Her limbs are still more strawberry though. Her fur is also growing longer.

The baby is small for her age, but is not unexpected. First, orangutans have a slow growth rate.  Also mommy Ibu is petite and daddy Butch is lean-built. The baby has started to grow into its head more, and is all arms, legs and … ears! Her prominent ears are so cute sticking out.

Mommy and baby have been sleeping through the night since baby was about two months old. At three months old, the happy baby only cries when she’s climbing up her climbing mesh and isn’t sure how to get back down.

Khaleesi  is awake about 80 percent of the time. Like her mommy, she’s bright-eyed and observant. The baby makes eye contact and responds to keepers talking. Proud mommy Ibu loves showing her baby to her keepers. 

Here you can see her fur changing over time: 

Step aside, Kim Kardashian – at three days old, baby Khaleesi had her “duckface kissy mouth pout” perfected. 

Two months later, Khaleesi was still rocking that pout. 

Conversations with Mommy

Playing is SERIOUS Primate Business

Khaleesi has begun exploring! The first item Khaleesi engaged was a cylindrical enrichment item.

Khaleesi reached down to touch the cylinder, which she rolled around like a ball. She also loves exploring paper bags, browse and shredded paper.

She’s a happy, bouncing baby. Khaleesi has begun to pull herself up on the orangutan climbing mesh and “bounce” on her knees, bending them as she bobs up and down.

As you can see, playing is hard work.

Baby Proofing Khaleesi's new HOME!

Childproofing your home is essential to keeping your baby safe. The El Paso Zoo staff has been hard at work baby proofing the orangutan exhibit for new parents Ibu and Butch!

Zoo keeper Tasha tests out the new tires swing during the “baby-proofing” of the orangutan exhibit. (She might be having too much fun to call it “work,” right?) Volunteer Susie donated this tire swing from Ibu’s baby registry. It is going to be so fun to watch Khaleesi swing on it!

If you’ve ever been a parent, you can probably remember identifying your home's hazards and making it a safe place to roam. Zoo staff has reconstructed much of the orangutan exhibit, making sure all the structures were baby-safe for Khaleesi.

Now that the exhibit is ready, the keepers have begun introducing Ibu and Khaleesi to baby’s new habitat.

You can still help mom and dad welcome Khaleesi with a gift from her registry at: http://babyli.st/ibu-and-butch