In the early hours of Tuesday 8 January critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan, Karta, gave birth to a stillborn infant.

Adelaide Zoo is extremely saddened and disappointed that Karta's infant didn't survive as its passing marks a sad end to a pregnancy that has seen great anticipation and excitement for all involved.

Zoos SA Veterinarian, Dr Jenny McLelland, said the exact cause of death will be determined in the coming days however initial observations indicate the umbilical cord was wrapped around the infant's neck.

Karta, our Sumatran Orangutan, is due to give birth roughly around the middle of December but just like humans it wouldn't be unusual for her to give birth a couple of weeks either side of the anticipated date. With Karta's due date approaching rapidly we've been noticing quite a few changes in her behaviour. Now that she's in her last trimester, we've noticed that her food preferences have changed. Some days she's ravenous while other days she can't seem to be bothered to get up and get her food. Her tastes have changed as well. She went through a period where she couldn't get enough carrots and then the next week didn't want them at all. Some days she will want fruit and other days she will just leave it or even spit it out once she puts it in her mouth.

Karta's pregnancy diet is keeping zookeepers on their toes! Photo: Dave Mattner

Adelaide Zoo's Primate Team is happy to announce that Karta the Sumatran Orangutan is expecting a baby towards the end of the year! While it's still early days and not traditional to announce the pregnancy this early, there have been lots of whispers and questions about a possible pregnancy due to Karta's shape and size.

Karta's expecting a Christmas baby! Photo: Dave Mattner

Adelaide Zoo is pleased to announce critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan, Karta, is expecting a baby. While it's still early days, and not traditional to announce the pregnancy until after the second trimester, there's been speculation about a possible pregnancy due to Karta's expanding belly.

Zookeepers first noticed Karta was putting on extra weight more than six months ago however pregnancy wasn't confirmed until just recently via a human pregnancy test kit.

Recently, the world's attention has been shone on northern Sumatra where conservation organisations are currently fighting to save the last remaining Sumatran Orangutans and the forest of the Tripa peat swamps, in the Aceh Province Indonesia. The Tripa forest once held the largest orangutan population density in the world but the critically endangered species is now facing local extinction. If you aren't already aware of what is happening, the Tripa forest is being converted for large scale palm oil plantations. But the legality of this forest conversion is being contested in a high profile legal case as much of the forest clearing has been done illegally as has the burning of the land and the illegal establishment of huge drainage canals that will drain this unique and critically important wetland of its principal life force.

Please help save my wild cousins!

Work has commenced in Adelaide Zoo's orangutan exhibit to build a fantastic wooden structure that will provide extra shelter and shade as well as plenty of new enrichment points. Previously, on really hot days, the shadiest spot in the exhibit was at the back where the orangs can be hard to spot amongst the foliage. This will soon change with the new structure able to provide lots of shade not only on the ground but throughout its various levels. At this stage the first platform is finished with work starting on the second platform this week. Eventually hammocks will be added to the top of the structure and a number of puzzle feeders will be attached, not only to encourage the orangutans to use the space but to keep them occupied while they get used to the new equipment.

With Christmas come and gone for another year, we can safely say that the orangutans enjoyed their fair share of gifts too. We were very lucky this year, as school groups who had come into the Zoo to join out "PlanetKeeper" education program, made the orangutans some gifts of food in cardboard boxes wrapped in Christmas paper, specially made orangutan-friendly bon-bons and magazines filled with food. For the Adelaide Zoo Enrichment day, the theme of the day was Christmas so the orangutans got their presents early.

At the moment, we allow Puspa to come back into the building to her bedroom areas when she decides to. By taking it at her own pace, we are ensuring that we can keep building on all the positive experiences Puspa is having… As the old saying goes, slow and steady wins the race.

But don’t worry we are certainly keeping Puspa happy when she is inside during the day. We have discovered she is a budding artist - Puspa seems to love to paint.

Many of you have heard how Puspa is doing but I know a few people are also wondering how Kluet and Karta are doing with Puspa’s arrival and the mammoth change that this brings…

The afternoon Puspa had arrived, Adelaide received a fair amount of rain. So that Kluet and Karta would not get soaking wet, they had been given access to certain bedroom areas so that they could stay dry during Puspa’s unloading. That was the plan anyway!

Pusung was born at Perth Zoo on 25th February 1978 and was hand raised from the age of 1. In 1989 he went to Singapore Zoo, where he fathered five young. He returned to Australia and began living at Adelaide Zoo in October 2000, as part of the international breeding program.

He enjoyed human company and was extremely popular with his keepers and all those who were fortunate enough to meet him. Pusung was a quiet, gentle giant who was the face of Adelaide Zoo.

Keepers who worked with him are devastated to lose such a wonderful old friend and colleague.