Kecil Orangutan Gears Up for His Debut!

Kecil, a one-year-old orangutan, came to Brookfield Zoo in June 2014 when he was nearly six months old to be paired with a surrogate mom, Maggie. Since his arrival, the two have been behind the scenes to allow them time to bond. Additionally, he has been developing his climbing and coordination skills—important milestones he needed to accomplish before having access to the orangutan habitat. Animal care staff have kept the public updated on Kecil’s progress via a blog posted at www.CZS.org/Kecil on the Society’s website.

Over the past 10 months, staff have observed Kecil becoming more agile and proficient at climbing the vines and branches they provided him in the behind-the-scenes area. To help Kecil navigate on his own, staff made some modifications to the habitat, including the addition of more hanging vines. He is now ready for his public debut in the Tropic World: Asia habitat. Currently, the Kecil and Maggie will be visible for guests to see between 10:00 a.m. and noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Watch for updates on additional habitat hours at www.CZS.org.