Orangutan Species Rarity

[Mary]

Hey all! I'm just curious about which subspecies of orangutan is considered the less common in North American zoos? It seems there is a decent population of both Sumatran and Bornean, so I'm wondering if one is preferred over the other.

 

[Coelacanth18]

In terms of population, the Bornean is slightly more numerous than Sumatran. In terms of holders, it seems to be roughly an even split.

Source is the list on this page: North American Orangutan Population

That's before getting into possible Tapanuli orangutans and hybrids, which would be from the Sumatran population.

 

[15399]

Orangutans are one of the taxa in which multiple different populations (in this case Sumatran and Bornean) are managed collectively as a single SSP. As a result, while institutions do get some say into which species they house, the SSP can do a better job of balancing the number of holders and/or using holding space to support the program more in need of help than if there were two SSPs competing with each other for identical exhibit spaces. Other examples of SSPs managed this way include the three tiger subspecies, the three spider monkey SSPs, the three gibbon SSPs, and both red panda species (however in some of these cases the holdings are not nearly as balanced as with orangutans). It's a strategy though that I think would be effective expanded towards even more cases where zoos manage multiple, very similar taxa.

 

[Mary]

Both replies very helpful, thank you both!

 

[antilio capra]

So no tapanulis? or none that can be confirmed?
The internet isn't the most helpful when look it up.

 

[JVM]

So no tapanulis? or none that can be confirmed?
The internet isn't the most helpful when look it up.

None that can be confirmed. I believe multiple members have indicated it's possible there are some in the captive population as no testing has been done so far to clear this up.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

None that can be confirmed. I believe multiple members have indicated it's possible there are some in the captive population as no testing has been done so far to clear this up.

Not quite; one has been confirmed but is now deceased, with some hybrid descendants still living. The known facts have been summarised within the following post:

Bubbles the Tapanuli Orangutan

These are her details:

0.1 Bubbles
Born in the wild 00/00/1963
Arrived at San Diego Zoo 15/12/1977 (via Phoenix 1964)
Died at San Diego Zoo 10/04/1995

Offspring:

1.0 Benny (06/03/1979) Alive (Zoo Atlanta)
1.0 Oliver (14/06/1980) Alive (Birmingham Zoo)
0.1 Bo (16/01/1982) Died 2010
0.1 Bella (01/07/1984) Alive (Louisville Zoo)
0.1 Unnamed (07/01/1986) Died 1986

Benny has two surviving offspring - a three way hybrid; and a Tapanuli/Sumatran hybrid.

Oliver has one offspring that is a Tapanuli/Sumatran hybrid.

There is, of course, a chance more may be discovered - but I think the testing of the US population in this regard has been completed now, so it may be unlikely.

 

[antilio capra]

So until further notice no pure tapanulis but a few hybird ones which I suspect will hybridize until it fades away.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

So until further notice no pure tapanulis but a few hybird ones which I suspect will hybridize until it fades away.

Or far likelier, those hybrids still young enough to breed will be prevented from doing so.