Papa Orangutan Steps Up To Raise Daughter After Mama Orangutan Passes Away
Unlike human dads, animal dads don't usually participate in the parenting of their children. Once the mating season ends, they typically don't stay around to wait for the birth of their offspring.
As crude as that may seem, that's just the way of the wild. It's all up to the females to ensure that their babies are fed, have shelter, and are prepared for the wild they inhabit.
That's why most animals only know their mothers as the sole parent in their lives. So when their mothers suddenly perish, these poor babies are almost always left behind with nobody else to protect them from lurking predators.
There are moments, however, when an exception occurs, and the parent who is usually uninvolved in the animal baby's life steps up to care for their child. That is what happened with these orangutans at the Denver Zoo.
After the baby orangutan's mother died, people at the zoo expected that caring for the baby orangutan would be left up to them. But its dad defied all odds and swooped in for the rescue when nobody expected it.
Keep reading to discover the heartwarming story of this orangutan family.
The papa orangutan that defied all the odds
Orangutan females usually spend years of their lives caring for their little ones. Because of that, the bond between a mother orangutan and her offspring is probably one of the strongest in the animal kingdom.
As it is, nature has plenty of surprises. And while no one expects a father orangutan to take on the responsibility of raising its child, that is exactly what happened at the Denver Zoo.
It all started when the matriarch of the orangutan family passed away
The mother of the baby orangutan, Nias, sadly passed away due to a heart attack at the age of 32. Orangutans like her can live up to 40 years in the wild, but with human care, they can live even longer. However, the unexpected happened.
“We’re deeply saddened to share that Nias, the matriarch of our Sumatran orangutan family, died unexpectedly last Thursday,” the zoo wrote. “Nias came to Denver Zoo in 2005 when she was 17 years old and spent the last 15 years delighting guests and serving as an ambassador for her critically endangered species.”
No one expected what was going to happen next
Soon after Nias passed away, everyone was shocked and baffled when the orangutan father, Berani, took over the responsibility of raising the daughter Nias left behind, named Cerah. Apparently, Berani is doing a stellar job at raising his daughter.
It's a rare and incredible thing to see
“It’s something incredible to see. It’s this giant male with this tiny, little baby,” zookeeper Cindy Cossaboon told KIRO7. “It’s one of those things where you have this terrible storm, and then you have the rainbow at the end. He is doing a fantastic job. We couldn’t ask for better care for her.”
Berani is a wonderful dad
Everyone was delighted to discover that Berani is a wonderful dad. He cuddles with his daughter when she goes to sleep, and he even comforts her when she cries.
“Berani is so attentive and protective of her, seeing to all her needs,” Denver Zoo wrote on Facebook. “He will carry her, comfort her, and even snuggle with her when she sleeps.”
Nature really has plenty of wonderful surprises in store every single time. If Berani hadn't stepped in to care for his daughter, nobody would have batted an eye, but he did, and it's just wonderful.
Hopefully, they have the best of times together, and hopefully, they'll also develop a bond like no other.
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