Ayaan, the first orang utan at Mandai Wildlife Group conceived using artificial insemination, was delivered by caesarean section on March 18, 2026, due to the mother Chomel’s placenta praevia condition [1, 2, 3].
Chomel, a 29-year-old female and mother of two, is currently fostering Ayaan alongside another baby orang utan at the Singapore Zoo [1, 2, 3]. Charlie, a 48-year-old male Sumatran orang utan at the zoo, sired Ayaan. This is Charlie’s first offspring, making him a key figure in the regional breeding programme aimed at maintaining genetic diversity [1, 2, 3]. Wendy Chua, curator of animal care, explained, "Charlie didn’t have any progeny at all, which is why he is ranked amongst the most important to breed. If he were to pass on with no offspring, there’s nobody else left to carry his gene" [1].
Mandai Wildlife Group deputy vice-president of veterinary healthcare Heng Yirui said, "To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of an orang utan birth spanning artificial insemination, placenta praevia and a successful caesarean delivery" [1]. The birth represents a milestone for conservation efforts involving critically endangered Sumatran orang utans native to Malaysia and Indonesia. The World Wildlife Fund estimates about 13,800 Sumatran orang utans remain in the wild [1, 2, 3].
Visitors to the Singapore Zoo can see Ayaan, Chomel, and the other infant at the orang utan exhibit from May 21, 2026, on Thursdays to Sundays and public holidays [1, 2, 3].
