Humans have babies all the time. And for those ignorant to the joys of sleep deprivation and constant screaming, it can appear as a somewhat yawn-worthy (or terrifying) event. But when a big, furry, orange primate has a baby on the way, just try to stop the CityMag team from knitting woolen booties.

Karta, the 32-year-old Sumatran orangutan who calls the Adelaide Zoo home, is in the final stages of her fifth pregnancy. 

Unfortunately for the dwindling international orangutan population, not one of the previous births has been a success, with the infants sadly passing away too soon into their short lives. 

Jodie Ellen, the Adelaide Zoo’s passionate senior primate keeper, explains that while Karta seemed to do everything correctly as a mother, tests in 2011 revealed she was unable to properly breastfeed her young.

“Anatomically, there was obviously something not working. We’ve since discovered that she can produce milk but obviously the delivery wasn’t getting there,” says Jodie.

 “Thankfully I have worked overseas with orangutans so I’ve got quite a big network of colleagues from around the world. After spending some time over at Perth Zoo… It made me consider that maybe these babies are having difficulty latching on to feed, so I put the call out to a lot of colleagues in Europe and America asking if anyone else had similar. 

“Through that network we received information about Denver Zoo where a female had the exact same problem and where the keepers were now supplement feeding the baby. We immediately jumped on that and put that plan into place.” 

The orangutan habitat looks like an adventure playground

Uncannily enough, Jodie also discovered that the female with the identical problem was Karta’s only full-blooded sibling. But don’t discount Karta’s genetics as sub-par. She and mate Kleut have the most important genetic pairing in the Australasian region. 

“Being so isolated from the Americas and Europe, where there’s a lot of animals for breeding purposes, Australia has to be really careful with the genetics of the animals here,” says Jodie. “Both Kleut and Karta were imported to Australia to breed and bring their own genes which aren’t found here into our pool. 

“Karta, of course, came from San Diego and Kluet from England. So genetically they’re super important for the region, because any offspring they have will obviously bring in new genetic lines to hopefully breed in the future.”

With only 6,000 of Karta’s species left on the planet, the critically endangered primates are at risk of extinction in large part because of human actions including the expansive clearing of native habitat for palm oil plantations. 

Jodie hopes that Karta’s baby will increase awareness of this issue and perhaps inspire Australians to consider what they consume. 

Adelaide Zoo senior primate keeper Jodie Ellen

“Palm oil is used in loads of different things from cosmetics and shampoos, to household products right through to certain foods. Australians can help really easily, just by being more conscious of the products we’re buying. By people coming into the zoo to see Karta and the baby, hopefully awareness comes across a bit more. So Karta helps us in that way, and the baby will also help us in that way.”

For now, however, Jodie remains focused and committed to the wellbeing of Karta and the unborn baby. Speaking emotionally about the human-like-grief Karta experienced upon losing her babies – crying, loss of appetite and general melancholy – Jodie explains that all was not lost through this arduous time.

“Because of Karta’s story, and the heartbreak experienced, people have really connected with her. The support we got from the public with the last stillborn was just mind-blowing, and I know for us it was such a support for us to draw on. So when we announced that she was pregnant this time, Facebook nearly melted down from all of the wonderful, supportive comments- it’s just beautiful.” 

With Karta expected to give birth very soon, in the beginning of spring, the people of Adelaide wait in anticipation of the baby’s healthy arrival.

“If we are successful with this little bub, I think everyone will feel as if he or she is a small part of them… it’ll be Adelaide’s baby because she, or he, has such a remarkable story. So if we can get this little one right, I think all of Adelaide would be pretty proud about that,” says Jodie.