Animal video
After sudden death: orangutan father becomes "surrogate mother"
Berani, the orangutan and his baby daughter Cerah: outgrew themselves in times of need.
When a mother orangutan suddenly died in the Denver Zoo, her baby seemed lost too – but, surprisingly, her father took over the role of mother.
From a human point of view, it is more natural that a father takes care of his own child after the mother's death; as a rule, he does so beforehand. But for great apes like orangutans, nature has not intended that – and so the single father monkey at the Denver Zoo is actually a small miracle that nobody would have expected.
"He cuddles you to sleep"
Father monkey Berani takes his new parenting duties very seriously and does not stop at basic needs such as getting food for his baby Cerah – he does not leave her side during the day, plays with her and does not even save on caresses (we repeat: All these are things which a male orangutan really doesn't in the wild). His older daughter Hester (already ten years old) also takes part in the baby care. Together they are a unique orangutan family that gives each other comfort and strength.