Blog

By: Michael de Yoanna

Category: Panorama

Posted: July 29, 2010 11:55 AM

Tags: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, VIGIL

Hesty: The Denver Zoo's New Addition

The past few months have seen a baby boom at the Denver Zoo. In June, a female sea lion pup arrived, and in May, endangered Amur tiger cubs were born in a private den. Back in April, the zoo welcomed a six-foot-four-inch, 170-pound female reticulated giraffe named Cricket. Now, a Sumatran orangutan infant, Hesty, is getting all the attention. The first of her species born at the zoo in 25 years, Hesty's first two weeks were rough. Days after being born, on June 19, to zoo orangutans Mias and Nias, Hesty struggled and had to be placed in an incubator, where she remained until she could pull her bottle close on her own, writes 7News. By July 18, Hesty's birth weight had doubled, from 2.86 pounds to 4.4 pounds, and the next day, Hesty and Nias were reunited. Nias immediately cradled her baby. "We prepared extensively for this birth. Nias is an amazing animal and is so intelligent. However, with this being her first infant, we weren't sure she would know exactly what to do," says the zoo's primate-area supervisor, Ronda Schwetz. Zoo officials have not yet revealed when the public will be allowed to view Hesty, but they offer a peek in this video.

Comments

Good things happening at the wonderful Denver Zoo -- baby giraffe and Hesty, the baby orangutan. I love this Zoo! Allen Nyhuis, Coauthor: America's Best Zoos

Facebook Comments Box

Denver Real Estate 2013 - Get In The Game

Here’s why it’s finally time to get back in the Denver real estate market.

Spin Cities

We’ve highlighted some of the best road cycling routes along the Front Range and in the high...

Risky Business

Colorado’s labor market has more than its share of occupational hazards.

Escape

Each year, more than 18,000 victims of domestic violence call SafeHouse Denver’s hot line. Meet...

Get Well

From obesity to food allergies, we break down five issues facing Colorado’s kids.