Baby orangutan born at Lowry Park Zoo

TAMPA (FOX 13) - An orangutan at Lowry Park Zoo received a precious early Christmas gift this year. "Josie," a 30-year-old Bornean orangutan, gave birth to a male orangutan on Dec. 21 named "GoJo."

This was Josie's fourth baby, but this one was in the breech position, which made labor and delivery challenging, the zoo said.

"Josie did an amazing job with the delivery under difficult circumstances," said Dr. Ray Ball, director of medical sciences. She even cleared the baby's airways herself after the baby was born.

The animal care teams said Josie's 10-year-old daughter also observed the entire delivery, which will be important for her as she becomes a mother in the future.

Little baby GoJo's name is a combination of his father's name, "Goyang," and mother's, "Josie." GoJo was born with a thin layer of red hair and is about 2-3 pounds. He will nurse for the next three to five years and will ride on his mother's chest and back for several years.

Lowry Park Zoo is now home to six orangutans including the baby.

The zoo is part of the Bornean Orangutan Species Survival Plan, which helps to preserve wildlife that faces extinction. Over the past 60 years, the orangutans native to Borneo and Sumatra have had an estimated 50 percent population decline due to plantation development and poaching.