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