...Because of those baby blues
...Because he has the cutest yawn...
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...And tiny little hands
Because all he wants to do is snuggle
...And get kisses from his mom
...And kisses...
...And kisses...
...And kisses...
...And even more kisses!
Because when he isn't getting kisses he demands more...
Which she is always happy to oblige...
...Because him and his mom have a favorite yellow wheelbarrow...
...which they build a nest in every day
...for snuggles and nap time
...Becuase he isn't afraid to act cheeky
...Because his mother absolutely adores him
...And sometimes wears him as a hat
Because he'll probably be as handsome as his father...
...As athletic as his mother...
...And as devious as his brother...
Which is likely because he shares his older brothers signature lip...
But as he keeps reminding us, no one can see into the future
But most importantly...Because the success of his birth provides hope for the survival of his species
This breakthrough completes the first step of LEO Zoological Conservation Center's Wild Cycling Program, which began two years ago. Wild cycling, first coined by LEO Zoological Conservation Center's Founder and Director Marcella Leone, aims for the eventual recycling of genes in and out of zoological institutions and wild populations in order to expand genetic diversity.
LEO Zoological Conservation Center invited Dr. Mark Leondires of Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMACT), a leader in the fertility field and treatment of infertility in humans, to aid in this Wild Cycling Program. Dr. Leondires, and LEO Zoological Conservation Center's veterinarians and staff monitored female orangutans to track ovulation and menstruation cycles to determine the least invasive treatment plan with the best chance of success while staff developed a training and conditioning standard, based on their natural habits. Together, they performed natural cycle intrauterine insemination (IUI) with sperm collected from a male orangutan. This single round of treatment successfully resulted in pregnancy.
This scientific advancement comes at a critical time as Earth's wild forests are being removed 10 times faster than any possible rate of re-growth and a species of plant or animals goes extinct every 20 minutes. During the past 60 years, the orangutan population has decreased by 50 percent as tropical forests are harvested for palm oil,Many experts estimate that orangutans will be extinct in their natural habitat in the next 25 years.
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