Everyone loves to look at newborn babies. Apparently, curiosity with newborns isn’t limited to just humans, however — orangutans also want in on the cuteness!
Recently, an orangutan at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky noticed a visitor carrying an infant and motioned to the mother bring the child closer. When the mother, Kayla Jaylen Natsis, brought her 3-month-old son Jordan to the glass, the orangutan gazed at his face with interest. Then she appears to kiss the glass twice:
@kaylaajaylenn #fyp ⬠original sound – kaylaa
It’s not the first time she has asked to meet a human baby on the other side of the glass, though. TikToker Shalena Hittle shared another video of the same orangutan sweetly gesturing to see her 2-week-old baby, too:
@shalenahittle35 The orangutan asked to see our 2 week old
The 35-year-old orangutan’s name is Amber, and she’s been melting the hearts of zoo visitors for years. She was born at the Como Park Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Oct. 15, 1987, according to the zoo’s website. She came to the Louisville Zoo in 1996 with her half-brother Teak.
Amber is known for her friendliness, curiosity with strangers and playful personality. If you visit her enclosure, don’t be surprised if she taps on the glass and asks to look at your manicure, or to see what’s inside your backpack. She likes colorful accessories!
Amber has actually been famous since she was a baby. In the mid-1980s, when she and Teak were seven months and nine months old, they made an appearance on “Late Night with David Letterman.”
Letterman refers to them as monkeys, and their handler, famed conservationist Jack Hanna, must correct him, as they are actually apes. Hanna tells Letterman that one day the orangutans will grow to be about 300 pounds (males) and 150 pounds (females), and that they are from the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra. He also explains that they are very rare and on the endangered species list — which is still true today. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, all orangutan species are critically endangered as a result of habitat loss.
It seems that Amber might have learned a thing or two from her time on a late-night comedy show. She continues to delight zoo guests with her antics, especially when she tries to con them into giving her their unhealthy snacks! However, according to the video below from a zookeeper at the Louisville Zoo, Amber eats a healthy diet that’s low in sugar.
@louisvillezoo We heard you wanted to see Amber get some snacks. Here is a video of Amber snacking and some more information about the kind of things she enjoys daily and that make sure she’s in good health. #louisvillezoo #zoo #zoosoftiktok #orangutan #amber ⬠Cena Engraçada e Inusitada – HarmonicoHCO
Keep up those healthy habits, Amber!
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
