1971 Sumatran orangutan

Photo: Jovan Dezort

First to be raised in Czechoslovakia

Kama, a Sumatran orangutan, was born on 27 June 1971. At that time, orangutans had been living in Prague Zoo for 10 years. However, his mother Soňa, who originally came from the wild, became ill and lost interest in her infant. Therefore, it was decided to resort to hand rearing. Initially, he was fed with milk formula. Apart from two small breaks, Kama lived at Prague Zoo until 2013. His son, Pagy, and grandson, Kawi, now inhabit the Indonesian Jungle Pavilion.

Kama spent the first weeks of his life in an incubator in strict quarantine conditions. Later, a keeper started to take care of him, pushing him around in a pram. When Kama grew a little older, he had his own playground and was able to move freely around the zoo accompanied by his keepers. The youngster was a huge hit with the public.