New pictures released of zoo’s baby orangutan, which now has a name

There’s a new Sumatran orangutan in town, and her name is Lily.

The baby orangutan was born on Sept. 7 at the Sedgwick County Zoo to parents 33-year-old Daisy and 22-year-old Panji.

It’s currently in quarantine, though zoo staff said they are “slowly increasing the amount of contact between mom and baby, preparing Daisy to take over when she’s ready.”

The orangutan was delivered via surgical C-section, as doctors and zoo medical staff determined it was medically necessary to protect the health of both the mother and the baby.

Zookeepers wanted the baby orangutan’s name to have a floral theme, stemming from her mother, Daisy.

The ultimate decision was made by a couple who honorarily adopted the orangutan during the live auction portion of Zoobilee. The fundraiser, which was held the day after the orangutan was born, often auctions off the perk of being able to name zoo babies born that same year.

For more information about Lily the orangutan, check Kansas.com Monday morning for a feature story.

This story was originally published September 21, 2018 at 4:22 PM.