Indianapolis Zoo Names Baby Orangutan

The votes are in, and the Indianapolis Zoo’s newest orangutan now has a name. With more than 9,000 votes cast, the name Edi won and is now the baby boy’s name. Edi, which means handsome one, was born to mother Sirih and father Basan on February 20 in the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center. Edi captured 50% of the vote, followed by Ketambe with 38% and Lada with 12%. The winning name was announced live on Fox 59 this morning.

Edi is the second orangutan birth at the Indianapolis Zoo since the opening of the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center in 2014. His birth is the result of close collaboration with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Orangutan Species Survival Plan, a program ensuring a sustainable, genetically diverse and demographically varied AZA population.

Edi is Sirih’s second birth at the Indianapolis Zoo, and third baby overall. Sirih gave birth to Mila in 2015. Orangutan mothers spend seven to ten years actively raising their offspring. With the addition of Edi in February, the Simon Skjodt International Orangutan Center is now home to 12 individuals.

Orangutans are found in the wild only on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, and these Critically Endangered great apes continue to face increasing threats, primarily habitat loss due to agricultural development for crops like palm oil. Edi will serve as an ambassador for the species and will engage and empower visitors to play a role in conservation efforts.

Zoo babies are proudly presented by Primrose Schools.