The Virginia Zoo announced Wednesday morning that one of its female orangutans is pregnant.
This will be the first offspring for Dara, an 18-year-old Bornean orangutan, who is expected to deliver the baby in mid June to early July, according to the Zoo.
Zookeepers observed breeding behavior between Dara and 14-year-old male Solaris last fall. The physical characteristics of pregnancy became apparent to trained animal care staff after a couple weeks.
A human pregnancy test confirmed Dara's pregnancy.
Dara will remain on exhibit — weather depending — until the last few weeks of her pregnancy, the Zoo said.
