'Hey, I Need A Name;' Fundraiser Underway To Name Baby Orangutan

TAMPA, FL — Zoo fans have a chance to donate to a worthy cause while helping ZooTampa at Lowry Park name its adorable addition to the zoo's Bornean orangutan family.

This little guy was born to first-time mom Randee on Nov. 15, the 11th endangered Bornean orangutan born at ZooTampa.

His birth isn't just a big deal for Randee. Conservationists celebrate it as one more step toward saving this species, which has seen a decline of more than 50 percent during the last 60 years.

A century ago, there were probably more than 230,000 orangutans in the wild, but the Bornean orangutan population has dwindled to just 104,700 due to the popularity of palm oil.

While the edible vegetable oil may be great for cooking and reducing wrinkles, the harvesting of palm trees in Africa has resulted in the loss of some of the world's most biodiverse forests, destroying the habitat of endangered species like the orangutan, pygmy elephant and Sumatran rhino.

The nonprofit ZooTampa is part of the 230 facilities around the world that belong to the Association of Zoos and Aquarium's Species Survival Plan.

Among the AZA's efforts, it supports the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, which promotes sustainably grown African oil palm trees. Rather than boycotting palm oil, the RSPO created product-labeling guidelines based on strict environmental, social and economic standards to help consumers know when a product contains palm oil that was sustainably grown and, therefore, did not rely on clearing forests.

To aid its ongoing efforts to save endangered species like Randee and her baby, ZooTampa decided to turn the naming of the baby orangutan into a fundraiser.

For a minimum donation of $10, zoo fans can cast their vote here in favor of one of two names —Riplee and Rowan.

While he's waiting for his fans to choose his new moniker, this little guy is sticking to his mom like superglue. Newborn Bornean orangutans, like all baby apes, are born completely dependent on their mothers and receive maternal care for six to eight years.

According to the World Wildlife Federation, the Bornean orangutan is one of three species of orangutan.

The Bornean and Sumatran species both have shaggy reddish fur, but the Bornean orangutan has a broader face and shorter facial hair.

These two species were believed to be the only orangutans on Earth until November 2017 when a new species was officially declared.

With only 800 in existence, the Tapanuli orangutan is the most endangered of all great apes. This new third species lives in North Sumatra, but is genetically and behaviorally distinct from the two other species. That's because they're confined to 475 square miles of upland forest in the Batang Toru Ecosystem of Sumatra and have been isolated from other orangutan populations for 10,000 to 20,000 years.

See related story: Cuteness Quotient: Rare Bornean Orangutan Born At ZooTampa