Meet 'Roux': New Orleans zoo officially names cute baby orangutan

NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans zoo has officially named its baby Sumatran orangutan: "Roux."The infant was born on Christmas Eve 2021 at the Audubon Zoo and has been getting round-the-clock care since a few days after his birth because Menari, a first-time mother, wasn’t producing enough milk.

The Audubon Zoo said the name Roux paid homage to New Orleans and is a French term for "a reddish-brown like the color of an orangutan's fur and the thickening base used to make gumbo."The zoo's orangutan care team narrowed their selection of names to three — Rudy, Roux and Maymuun — and asked the public to vote on the winner."We are grateful to the community for helping us pick a name and extremely overwhelmed by the nearly 10K total votes that were cast," Audubon Zoo’s Curator of Primates Liz Wilson said in a statement. "Our team feels that Roux perfectly fits the newest member of our orangutan family and loves that it pays homage to his New Orleans roots." The great apes with long red hair are considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Threats to the Sumatran species include hunting and the destruction of the forests and peat swamps of the Indonesian island where they spend nearly all their time in trees.Twelve-year-old Menari gave birth to Roux on Dec.

24, and a twin brother was stillborn. Days later, the baby was showing signs of weakness and lack of nursing. Veterinarians examined Menari and discovered the lactation problem.Since then the infant has had round-the-clock care from zoo staffers wearing furry vests that the baby can cling to.