Oh my darling Clementine!

 

Clementine gets an ice treat, age 2 1/2. 

Little Bornean Orangutan Clementine made news with her birth 2 1/2 years ago, as the first orangutan born in the Columbus Zoo in 60 years. Named because she is small and sweet and also orange, Clementine is the daughter of Khali and Sulango. Her doting "auntie" (unrelated) Dumplin just turned an amazing 52 years old this month.

Clementine at 7 months, climbing the wall.
Her mother lets her explore but is close by. 

Clementine was born November 28, 2023 to first time mom Khali. Since young orangutans stay with their mothers for seven or eight years, a female orangutan will only have three or four children in her lifetime.  They have the longest childhood dependence of any animal except for humans.

Mama Khali guarding the baby so she doesn't fall. 

Orangutan mothers are nurturing and protective of their young, but other family members do help with raising the youngsters once they are past infancy. Auntie Dumplin is especially fond of baby Clementine and while it is good for Clementine to have such a good babysitter, it is also good for Dumplin, as the keepers say it has given the old lady a new lease on life. 

Baby Clementine in arms at 7 months.
They drink their mother's milk for up to eight years.

Clementine at 7 months, just starting to explore

 

Seven month old Clementine, curious but stays close to mom.

Now, in the summer of 2026, Clementine is a confident toddler, ready to take on the world, although she still runs back to Mom Khali on occasion. 

                                      Clementine and her mom now

A few weeks ago, the orangutans were given ice treats with apples frozen inside. Clementine scampered about, gathering up her snowballs. 

                                                Clementine and her treat

                Treat time for all. There were two ice balls for each.

At one point, Mom Khali came over to try to steal one of her daughter's ice treats, but Clementine would have none of that!

                                                Clementine guards her ice treats

                                   She notices an airplane overhead. Curious!

                                          

                                                       What does mom have?

                                                             Plenty for everyone

                                             Playtime for Clementine

Auntie Dumplin just turned 52 years old in July.  She helps tend to Clementine, but is also known for her weaving skills. The keepers give Dumplin strips of cloth to make works of art.

The Bornean Orangutans are found in the Australia / Islands part of the Columbus Zoo. 

Zoo Pumpkins of October

Anana and her pumpkin

October is just wrapping up. Every weekend for the past month, the animals of the Cincinnati Zoo have been treated to real and papier mache pumpkins as enrichment and just for the fun of it. Pumpkins are good nutrition too.

Anana retrieves her floating pumpkin

Polar bear super couple Little One and Anana are separated right now, maybe in preparation for denning season. It also means that no one has to share, or worry about another bear running off with their pumpkin, so they can enjoy it at their leisure. The keepers like to throw the polar bear pumpkins into the water, and then the bears have a time of it getting the pumpkin open.

This pumpkin hit the rocks and broke, so it was easier for Anana to eat

The big window gives us a good look at polar bear teeth, as Anana bites

Anana runs off with a piece

Still dripping

Enough!

A pumpkin picnic

A paw to steady the pumpkin

Needs whipped cream

Good pumpkin

Keeper of the Arctic Foxes gets the feast ready

Each of the two foxes ran away to keep the treasure from the other

Looking for a private place to eat

Pumpkins just our size

No one will see me here

Something good on the top

No pumpkins, but it was nice to see the baby twin Rad Pandas
 on their first day out

Chester the old Andean Bear was just getting his bed all arranged with it was time for pumpkins

Not a real pumpkin. The papier mache pumpkins, made by zoo volunteers, are filled with treats.

It looks like peanuts!

Chester likes it

The Andean Bear is also called the Spectacled Bear because they seem to be wearing glasses

Chester takes a nap after a REAL pumpkin

Little One retrieves his pumpkin from the water

Carving out a face

The pumpkins seemed to have something yummy smeared on them, for the bears wanted to lick them clean

I think my jack-o-lantern is finishted

Maybe later...

Some of the zoo employees dressed up in costumes too.
 Bob Ross, the iconic TV painter, fills in at the face painting booth 

Spotted near the polar bears

It was trick or treat at the treat stations at the zoo, and there were a lot of little witches running around

Connie the White Handed Gibbon got some apples while Henry was getting his pumpkin

The other White Handed Gibbon, with the treat.
They are Henry's noisy and annoying companions

Henry the Sumatran Orangutan carries his pumpkin to his favorite spot

Henry was expecting his lunch inside the pumpkin and was mad that the pumpkin was empty. He had already had his lunch, but never mind.
He still wanted a stuffed pumpkin.

Small bites

Meercats got a jack-o-lantern too

Big enough to hide in his mouth, if you are a brave meercat

The meercats did not approach the pumpkin monster.

Schottzie got all the pumpkins. Jati looked but couldn't find any.

Trunks are good for carrying the pumpkin and crushing it too.

Snow Leopards Renji and Nubo got pumpkins too

Carving the face

Using the paw to steady my work

Mmmmm. Tastes like pumpkin

Creative design by an artistic snow leapard

White lionesses Prosperity and Gracious got pumpkins, and just rolled them around like balls, knocking them off the platform. They are cats, after all.

Made for the White Lionesses