You're only young once. Just ask Kaja, a critically endangered Sumatran who celebrated his first EVER birthday on Wednesday at the San Diego Zoo.
Kaja lives with his mom, 36-year-old Indah, and big sister Aisha, who's now 8 years old herself.
Sadly, Kaja never knew his father, Satu, a 26-year-old orangutan who died just before Christmas 2021.
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The zoo's favorite baby ginger spent his big day, like any good baby primate would, hanging out with his mom. Zookeepers made a special day of it, though, bringing out wreaths and cakes for everyone to investigate and nosh on, reports dedicated zoo-goer Rosemary Bystrak, who keeps her music blog, SDDialedIn, up-to-date at the park when she's not animal loving.
Kaja was named for an island in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, on Jan. 4, 2022, which makes him a Capricorn, if you wondered.
"To witness the birth of such a majestic critically endangered animal is a remarkable experience and brings us hope for the future," Erika Kohler, then the zoo's interim executive director, said at the time of Kaja's birth. "His birth increases the population by one and that is a necessary step in our ongoing efforts to gain a deeper understanding of orangutans so we can conserve the species where they live."
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"From now on, today will be known as Kaja day 🎂," the zoo tweeted out.
"Due to some complications following his birth last year, Kaja’s mother, Indah, was separated from him while she recovered. Wildlife Care Specialists quickly stepped in to care for and nurture Kaja during the early weeks of his life. Once Indah was fully healed, Kaja was re-introduced and slowly their bond began to grow. The inseparable pair can now be seen on habitat eating, swinging, and playing with the rest of the apes from the troop," the zoo posted on Instagram.
Kaja can be seen on the regular at the Orangutan enclosure most mornings from opening time till 11:30 a.m. or so. While he's spent the past year most above ground, he's now exploring the "forest" floor, so one-on-one time with the redhead is possible if you're very, very lucky.
Sumatran and Bornean orangutans are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. According to IUCN, the decline in their population is mainly due to illegal wildlife trafficking and habitat loss from rampant deforestation, which forces them into closer contact with people.
