A female guest with a newborn baby has assisted an orangutan at Aalborg Zoo in learning how to breastfeed her infant. Zoo officials say the guest’s help was invaluable after initial methods failed.

Ruti, the orangutan, gave birth on Wednesday but struggled to care for her young in the first 24 hours. Orangutans in the wild typically learn maternal skills by observing their mothers, but Ruti lacked a role model.

The zoo initially tried using a zookeeper and a teddy bear to demonstrate breastfeeding. When that approach proved unsuccessful, they sought the help of a female visitor with a newborn.

According to Kenneth Madsen, a zookeeper at Aalborg Zoo, the moment the woman breastfed her baby in front of Ruti was unforgettable. “It was a moment we will never forget. She put the baby to her breast, and it started to suckle. You could almost feel the relief spread throughout the entire zoo,” he stated. The woman’s willingness to help provided a significant breakthrough in Ruti’s maternal learning process.

The zoo plans to reward the helpful guest with a special experience and a family annual pass. The newborn orangutan is part of an international breeding program that paired Ruti with the male Pal.

Successful mating and offspring are not guaranteed in such programs, making this birth a significant achievement. “That’s why this is so big. It says everything about their well-being that we are seeing natural mating – and that they have managed to create an offspring together,” Madsen added. “It is a great victory for both the animals and the long-term work with the species.”

Orangutans are native to Borneo and Sumatra and are listed as critically endangered. The species remains in decline due to deforestation, according to the World Wildlife Fund.