Sumatran orangutan pregnant in Philly zoo

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- A rare Sumatran orangutan in the Philadelphia Zoo is pregnant, with the baby expected next month, zoo officials said.

The 16-year-old mother orangutan, named Tua, was found to be pregnant two weeks ago, Tammy Schmidt, assistant curator of carnivores and primates, told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Her mate is Sugriwa, also lives in the zoo.

The Sumatran orangutan, native to Indonesia's Sumatra island, is rarer than the Bornean orangutan and is critically endangered in the wild, with just a few thousand remaining.

Eighty-two Sumatran orangutans live in North American zoos.

The Philadelphia Zoo, the first zoo in the United States, is one of the premier zoos in the world for breeding animals that are difficult to breed in captivity.

The zoo also works with many groups around the world to protect the natural habitats of the animals in their care.