Orangutan Days 25-26 April
Join us when Aalborg Zoo and Save the Orangutan organise ”Orangutan Days” at Aalborg Zoo.
Aalborg Zoo is the only place in Denmark where you can meet the critically endangered Bornean orangutan. There are fewer than 50,000 orangutans left in Borneo today and the species has experienced a significant decline in recent years.
Programme:
11-16. Open kitchen at the orangutans.
11am-4pm: At Orangutan Square you can meet Save the Orangutan, learn more about the orangutan and take part in the big orangutan quiz.
11.30am: The orangutans are fed and the zookeepers and Save the Orangutan talk.
12.30: Orangutans in School. Christian Mogensen from Animals in Detail and Save the Orangutan will speak at the Zoofaris Stage.
Orangutans belong to the primates and are the most arboreal of them all. They only live in Borneo and Sumatra in Asia.
Aalborg Zoo is the only place in Denmark where you can meet orangutans. You can see two of these red apes in the facility, the male Pal and the female Ruti.
Ruti gave birth to a female baby on 28 May and they are both doing very well.
Orangutans are highly endangered in the wild and their numbers have declined drastically over many years. The decline in numbers is due to massive tree felling, hunting and trapping.
Tree felling is the biggest factor in terms of threats, as it means animals lose their habitats.
Come and meet Aalborg Zoo's little miracle ❤️
One morning in late May 2025, the silence in the orangutan enclosure was broken by something very special: a new life had been born. Ruti the orangutan had given birth to a baby - wet, fragile and brand new to life. It was a moment that stirred the emotions of zookeepers and animal lovers alike.
But the start of life was not without its bumps. As a first-time mum, Ruti didn't quite know how to take care of her baby. She was curious and loving - but confused. The little cub screamed and Ruti tried to comfort it with gentle touches, but didn't put it to her chest. The zookeepers could only watch - and hope - as orangutans in the zoo are not tame and can be very dangerous if zookeepers get too close.
A motherhood emerges
Ruti has never had a mum to look up to. She is part of an international breeding programme and came to Aalborg Zoo in 2022, where she was matched with the male Pal. The fact that they hit it off and had a cub is a great success in itself - and proof that they are thriving.
A very special moment
After a few nerve-wracking days, the miracle happened. With the help of both keepers and a benevolent guest with her newborn baby, Ruti realised what it took to keep her cub alive: She put her baby to her breast - and it began to suckle. Ruti suddenly realised what the zookeepers and the guest had shown her by breastfeeding in front of the facility's window. There was relief and joy, and it was felt throughout the garden.
Today, the little one, called Nusa, snuggles close to her mum, is full of milk and love - and growing day by day. And the best part? You can come and experience the orangutans for yourself.
Visit us and see Nusa and her parents Ruti and Pal with your own eyes
Ruti and her cubs are now seen both inside and outside the facility, where they have found a good rhythm together. Nusa explores, well supervised by her mother, and you can experience life, presence and the miracle of nature - in the centre of Aalborg.
Come and share the joy with us. We promise it's an experience you'll never forget.