Aurora’s New Mom

The newborn orangutan rejected by her mother has found a nurturing surrogate at the Houston Zoo, ending nine months of round-the-clock care by human substitutes, the zoo announced Thursday.

"We couldn't be more pleased and excited that Cheyenne has accepted the role of surrogate mom for Aurora. It is a great joy to see them together," assistant curator of primates Lynn Killam said in a statement.

After Aurora was abandoned by her mother Kelly only 12 hours after birth in March, the zoo's Wortham World of Primates keepers and an army of 50 volunteers stepped in. Their mission was to get the clinging, helpless baby ready to live with her orangutan family.

Throughout the process, the zoo's other orangutans would watch the baby and her human caregivers through a mesh wall. In the beginning, she clung to the furry vests volunteers wore; the volunteers had to resist holding her as they would a human baby. As Aurora began moving about on her own, "the primate care team taught her to go through what's called a 'creep door,' " a small opening in doors between rooms where the orangutans stay at night, Killam said.

The door between Cheyenne and Aurora was opened for the first time on Dec. 28. "Aurora chose not to go completely through it, instead touching and playing with Cheyenne through the small gap as Cheyenne reached her arm through," Killam said.

The next day, Aurora went through the door. "Cheyenne picked her up and carried her across the room," she said.

The older orangutan carried the baby for seven hours, even allowing Aurora to ride on her head, and shared food with her, the zoo said.

"What we saw was an orangutan mom who is experienced and nuanced in her care," Killam said. "It was a wonderful day."

Primate staffers do not know why Kelly, who raised 8-year-old Solaris, abandoned Aurora. Cheyenne previously served as a surrogate mother to Indah, an orangutan born at the Memphis Zoo in 2004 and brought to Houston in 2005 after her mother could not care for her.

The sixth orangutan at the zoo is Rudi. Aurora's father, Doc, died in August. He was 27.

Aurora and her surrogate mother Cheyenne may be seen daily at the Houston Zoo's orangutan habitat when it is not raining and the temperature is above 60 degrees.