The Toronto Zoo has unveiled the name of one of its newest members.
A baby boy Sumatran orangutan has been named Wali, which means guardian in Indonesian.
The zoo says his name is fitting as “Sumatran orangutans are the guardians of the rainforests.”
“The Wildlife Care keepers put forth some wonderful names, but one of these suggestions stood out as the clear winner, and we are thrilled to introduce you to Wali!,” the zoo said in a news release Friday.
The zoo held a name reveal party for the baby on Friday, which also marks World Orangutan Day.
Toronto Zoo CEO Dolf DeJong was in attendance for the celebration, along with Consul General from the Indonesian Consulate Dyah Lestari.
In photos from the event, Wali’s mother, 29-year-old Sekali, is seen lifting a box and revealing her little one’s name.
Shortly after Wali was born on April 8, 2022, the zoo held a name guessing campaign for the public to contribute suggestions.
“We had thousands of people participate in our name guessing campaign, and it’s wonderful to include our community in these important milestones” DeJong said in a statement. “The birth of a critically endangered orangutan is an important contribution to a genetically healthy Sumatran orangutan population in human care, and his name represents the crucial fight orangutans in the wild are currently facing.”
The zoo says there were an estimated 240,000 orangutans in the wild 10 years ago and today there are only about 120,000 remaining.
“With more than half the population gone in only 10 years, the threat of extinction is very real. This is mainly due to habitat loss because of the rapid expansion of palm plantations which supply western demands for palm oil,” the zoo wrote.
Wali is Sekali’s second child but her first with Budi, a 16-year-old male orangutan, who she was paired with at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and the Aquariums Orangutan Species Survival Plan.
The Toronto Zoo houses the only Sumatran orangutans in Canada.
The zoo is also in the final stages of completing its new outdoor orangutan habitat, which is expected to be open by Spring 2023.
The zoo says the new habitat will allow the orangutans to experience a “wider range of sights and sounds, and travel around on special overhead lines to areas outside the new habitat.”
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Katherine DeClerq
