Henry Vilas Zoo reveals name of baby orangutan

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - One of the newest additions to the Henry Vilas Zoo officially has a name.

The zoo posted on Facebook that its baby orangutan has been named Menjadi, which means “to come into being” in Malay. Staff explained that Malay is spoken in countries in Asia, including Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia.

The Henry Vilas Zoo celebrated the arrival of the critically endangered animal on June 11, noting that mom Chelsea has been doting on her baby.

Menjadi will stay with her mom until she at least turns 7 years old, the zoo explained. Chelsea will be keeping her baby close to her heart, carrying Menjadi for about two years.

In the wild, a mother and child orangutan would stay together for seven or eight years before the little one would venture out into the world on its own, the zoo added, noting that they have one of the longest childhoods in the animal kingdom.

This is Chelsea’s second child, as she previously gave birth to a bouncing baby boy named Bob in 2006. Bob has now gone to live at the Oregon Zoo and become the father to a little girl.