US zoos have recorded eight orangutan births since the start of 2025, an unusually high number for a critically endangered species that reproduces slowly. The surge is not accidental but the deliberate outcome of the Orangutan Species Survival Plan (SSP), a decades-old breeding coordination programme run across zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which pairs animals to maximise genetic diversity and mimic wild population dynamics.

The SSP, coordinating breeding recommendations since 1985, uses a genetic "studbook" to match animals with the lowest possible relatedness, while also weighing personality and group dynamics. Births began with Edi at Indianapolis Zoo in February 2025, followed by others in Utah, Los Angeles and Memphis, with further arrivals this year in Texas, Kansas, Indiana and Denver. Because orangutans share over 90% of their DNA with humans, zoos use methods such as human pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins and even C-sections, while keepers train mothers—sometimes substituting a foster if bonding fails—to care for infants successfully.