# @denverzoo on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DYs_lnHjUSB
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/67889363-denverzoo-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/e20f757c58.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-05-24T01:32:04.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (@denverzoo) — https://gondola.cc/denverzoo

## Caption

Baby watch continues for Hesty, our 15-year-old Sumatran orangutan and our Animal Care and Animal Health teams have been working around the clock to make sure this first-time mom is ready for every scenario. 🦧 

Here's a look at how our team has been helping to prepare Hesty: 

🧡 Maternal training: Hesty has been practicing holding and positioning a stuffed baby so she's ready to nurse when the real moment comes. 

🍼 Bottle training: Using a specially repurposed metal chute originally for voluntary blood draws, Hesty has learned to pass the baby and present for bottle feeding, just in case supplemental feeding is needed. 

💚 Ultrasound training: Hesty voluntarily presents her belly for weekly ultrasound checks, allowing our vet team to monitor baby's growth and development without sedation. 

As a Critically Endangered species, every new addition to the population is a meaningful win for conservation, and Hesty's baby is no exception. Learn more about Hesty’s pregnancy care through the link in bio.

#Hesty #SumatranOrangutan #DenverZooConservationAlliance #DZCA #Conservation #Primates

## Stats

- **Views:** 21,713
- **Likes:** 942
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 10

## Tags

dzca, sumatranorangutan, conservation, primates, hesty, denverzooconservationalliance

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