Israel’s New Furry Ambassador: Baby Orangutan!!!

The miraculous birth of a Sumatran orangutan to a 41 year old mother has gotten the entire world excited. An extremely threatened species, the Sumatran orangutan has seen its global population shrink to only 7,300 as a result of territorial expansion by their biological cousins, a species known as Homo sapiens. Deforestation and poaching have had a terrible impact on their natural habitats in Southeast Asia.

Of all the great apes, orangutans are the only species exclusively found in Asia. There are only two surviving species of orangutans, with one now limited solely to the island of Sumatra.

Born at the Ramat Gan Safari in Tel Aviv, this new celebrity is the first orangutan born there since 2000. Attempts to save  this intelligent and beautiful creature are difficult. Orangutans reproduce at a slower rate than any other primate, with females bearing offspring only every 7 or 8 years. With the average lifespan being around 45 years, this newborn’s mother was relatively old at 41.

While many believe the term orangutan is a reference to its orange or light red hair, this actually isn’t the correct etymology. Indigenous peoples of Malaysia and Indonesia called this great ape “orang hutan,” literally meaning “person of the forest.” Indeed, orangutans are one of our closest relatives, sharing 96.4% of our DNA.

While orangutans may not originate from the Jewish State, as this picture shows, they are certainly not averse to matzot.

To read more about Israel’s newest and cutest diplomat, click here.

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