This weekend Cameron Park Zoo celebrated parents-to-be orangutans Mei and KJ.
Mei's due date is late January, and for these great apes, the birth is of special significance. According to Laura Klutts, a zookeeper at Cameron Park, this birth is a small step in the fight against extinction.
"Unfortunately, they are the first great ape in danger to go extinct which means sadly in about ten years there will be no more of them. So having a baby is a really exciting time for us considering you get one only 8 to 9 years," Klutts said.
Mei and KJ registered for their baby shower at Target and received gifts from all around the country. At last count, zookeepers had over 280 items purchased with more coming in the mail, everything from blankets to toys and paints.
A Dolly Parton CD and slew of DVDs were also a part of the haul. All gifts were approved enrichment items, some of which will prove useful as Mei enters the final stages of pregnancy.
"When Mei goes into watch period with the the zookeepers watching her all the time, she's not allowed to go outside. We like to show her a lot of movies and listen to a lot of things," Klutts said.
With all of the gifts received, not only will Mei, KJ and the baby get to enjoy them. Other animals at Cameron Park Zoo will too.
"Some of the toys are approved for other animals across the zoo so we're going to share the wealth," She said.
The zoo will be holding another baby shower Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. If you would like to buy a gift their registry can be found here.
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