You can finally see Weila, the baby Bornean orangutan at Utah’s Hogle Zoo

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Weila, the baby Bornean orangutan at Utah’s Hogle Zoo, finally made her public debut. Visitors to the zoo can now catch a glimpse of the two-month-old great ape in the orangutan habitat.

According to a press release from the zoo, Weila was born on June 21, 2025. She and her foster mother, Acara, are now out in the orangutan habitat, available in the Great Apes lobby or outside. The two may not be visible at all times, as they have access to inside areas to nap and receive extra care.

The Hogle Zoo says that Kawan, Weila’s birth mother, didn’t nurse her newborn, leading the care teams to decide to hand-rear Weila. The newborn orangutan received “round-the-clock physical contact with a specialized vest designed to imitate orangutan fur.” Care teams helped her build strength and lift her head to drink from bottles and prepared to place her with a foster mother.

In the meantime, Utah’s Hogle Zoo “reinforced” maternal behaviors in Acara, a Bornean orangutan who had fostered her younger brother in 2014. In mid-August, Weila and Acara were introduced, and Acara is now helping raise the young orangutan.

Two of the zoo’s Bornean orangutans: baby Weila and foster mother Acara. (Courtesy: Utah’s Hogle Zoo)

Trainers are continuing to help Weila build her strength and monitor Acara as she moves into her role as a foster mother. Recently, the zoo says, Acara has been teaching Weila how to hang from ropes to strengthen her muscles and grip.

“Every baby orangutan we have hand-reared at Hogle Zoo has been very different in terms of their needs, their preferences, and their challenges. Weila has presented some new challenges we have not encountered before,” Clair Hallyburton, Associate Director of Animal Care for Hogle Zoo, is quoted in a press release. “She is a reminder that you never stop learning, no matter how much experience you may have. We have such a great support network, including expertise from the Orangutan Species Survival Plan, that we have leaned on a lot through this as well.”