Realm of the Red Ape

The latest exhibit at Chester Zoo is the stunning new ‘Realm of the Red Ape’. Themed as an Indonesian forest exhibit it immerses visitors in the world of the forest canopy and its teeming biodiversity.

The exhibit houses the Zoos threatened Sumatran and Bornean Orang Utans. The Zoo has a very successful history of breeding orang utans and this new exhibit with its world class facilities for the apes should ensure this success continues at Chester Zoo.

Chester Zoo supports the conservation of both these species in Sumatra and Borneo.

Also to be seen and heard are a group of Lar Gibbons which share the planted indoor and outdoor areas with the orang utans.

The orchid strewn roped walkway is also home to several Indonesian birds, such as the scissor-billed Starling and Timor Sparrow as well as tree shrews.

Sumatran Orangutan Group

This group consists of six animals. They are now kept together 24 hours a day in the Realm of the Red Ape exhibit, as there is enough room for them to spread out throughout the entire building.

We have an extremely good natured breeding male named Puluh who is 20 years old and arrived at Chester in 1996 from Perth Zoo, Australia. He has now fathered 4 offspring.

We have two breeding females named Subis and Emma, who were born at Chester in 1986 and 1987 respectively. They are full sisters born 18 months apart and were both hand reared following rejection by their mother.

It is perhaps our greatest achievement that these two females have reared all their own offspring, (two apiece), thanks to Chester keeping a greater number of orangutans than is usual in a zoo and allowing them exposure to other females rearing infants.

We have a juvenile male named Padang, son of Emma, who was born in 1998, he is a friendly little orangutan who is making full use of the new facility and is proving just how agile orangutans can be. The last two orangutans were both born in 2004, Budi to Subis and Utara to Emma. They too are climbing around the building with much more courageousness than we envisaged. They have all settled in very well to their new home.

Bornean Orangutan Group

Our bornean orangutan group was decreased slightly to allow us to lose one area whilst Realm of the Red Ape was constructed. The bornean orangutans that are still held in the collection are all female and all related. Now construction is complete a new bornean orangutan male named Tuan is being imported from Antwerp Zoo, Belgium.

Our present group consists of Martha who arrived at the zoo in 1966 as an infant. She is the only orangutan in the collection that is not captive born. Martha was donated to Chester by the late Barbara Harrison. She can be a bit of a grumpy old orangutan but has surprised us with her acceptance of the new areas within Realm of the Red Ape and is as eager as the younger orangutans to go out and explore.

Martha's last two offspring comprise the rest of the bornean group. Sarikei, who was born in 1983 and Leia, born in 1996. Sarikei has reared a son of her own who has since left the collection. Sarikei was a great mother so hopes are high that when the male Tuan is introduced to the females it won't be too long before we have another new arrival.

Leia although 11 years old still spends a great deal of time with her mother, if Martha had conceived again the bond between these two animals might not be quite as strong but whilst we have waited for the new male to arrive Martha and Leia are still very close.