Orangutan News

Today, we celebrate Redd’s birthday! Our youngest Bornean orangutan has officially entered his “sassy sevens” era.

Summer is drawing to a close, which means our young Bornean orangutan, Redd, will celebrate his sixth birthday soon on Sept. 12. 

April, or Ape-ril, is a great time to recognize our apes because many of them celebrate their birthdays this month! 

Our youngest Bornean orangutan, Redd, celebrated his fifth birthday Sept. 12! Primate keeper Erin Stromberg looks back at some of her favorite moments from the past year in her latest #OrangutanStory update. 

From salamanders to siamangs, prairie dogs to pandas, and everything in between, all Zoo animals receive veterinary care. Often, that means an animal needs to take medicine. Find out how keepers and veterinarians administer medicine in this update.

Swing along with primate keeper Emily Bricker as she shares her stories about caring for orangutans.

It’s hard to believe that we are already celebrating our youngest Bornean orangutan’s fourth birthday! Catch up on the latest Redd news from primate keeper Erin Stromberg. 

As our young Bornean orangutan nears his fourth birthday, primate keeper Erin Stromberg reflects on how his relationships with the adults in his social network have blossomed over the last year. 

From flamingo courtships to weekly weigh-ins for the African lions, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is buzzing with beastly activity behind the scenes! 

How do you get an orangutan to sit still for an electrocardiogram? All it takes is a little patience and a lot of ingenuity! The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s positive reinforcement training program enables primates to voluntarily participate in their own medical care without the need for anesthesia...

As Bornean orangutan Redd turns 3 years old, primate keeper Erin Stromberg reflects on his exciting year. 

As two orangutan infants tussled in the trees, curator of primates Meredith Bastian and primate keeper Alex Reddy looked on in awe. Over the summer, they traveled to Central Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo to follow these great apes in their native habitat.

Visitors to Washington, D.C., can expect warm weather and humidity this season. But not to worry — we’ve rounded up a few of the best ways to beat the heat at the Zoo this summer.

With two youngsters, Moke and Redd, growing up at the Great Ape House, primate staff are taking the rare opportunity to study the gestures and spatial proximity between gorilla and orangutan mother-infant dyads.

Over the winter, Bornean orangutan Redd learned some new husbandry behaviors! Read the latest #OrangutanStory from primate keeper Erin Stromberg. 

Let’s play a game…for science! With a tap of the touch-screen computer, orangutans at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo try their memories at matching pictures. These games help scientists study the apes’ metacognition. 

This Valentine’s Day (or any day!) celebrate with your beloved and 2,700 of your closest animal friends at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

What sounds does an infant orangutan make? Primate keeper Erin Stromberg filmed the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s 2-year-old Bornean orangutan Redd as he pleaded with his mother to share her food. Get the scoop on this and his latest milestones in this Q&A with Stromberg.

As the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s great apes prepare to go to sleep, they make their beds, then settle in. Just like their wild counterparts, orangutans in zoos build cozy nests.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s charismatic Bornean orangutan infant, Redd, will celebrate his second birthday Sept. 12! Since the last update in February, he has hit some major milestones. Get the latest scoop on this playful primate.

Get the answers to your most internet-searched questions about orangutans.

Expectant animal mothers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo often undergo maternal training to ensure that they are successful parents to their new offspring. In addition to training the mothers-to-be, animal keepers frequently train a “foster mom” in the event that a mother is unwilling or unable to...

At 16 months old, Bornean orangutan infant Redd is growing stronger and more independent every day. Read all about Redd’s progress and favorite activities in the latest Q&A with animal keeper Erin Stromberg.

How is Redd doing?

Redd is doing very well! Over the past several months, he has...

Bornean orangutan infant Redd is 9 months old! Although he still sticks close to mom, Batang, and she keeps a watchful eye on him, he is very active and seems to enjoy exploring his surroundings.

Ever wondered what it would be like to care for an endangered animal? For the team who works with the Smithsonian's National Zoo's primates-- gibbons, siamangs, lemurs, orangutans and gorillas, among others-- the job entails thinking of creative ways to provide these intelligent animals with...