{"id":45541,"date":"2026-05-22T17:13:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T23:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/?post_type=dz_contenthub&#038;p=45541"},"modified":"2026-05-22T17:13:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T23:13:57","slug":"inside-hestys-pregnancy-journey-2","status":"publish","type":"dz_contenthub","link":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/es\/zootales\/inside-hestys-pregnancy-journey-2\/","title":{"rendered":"El viaje de Hesty durante su embarazo"},"content":{"rendered":"<div  class='lhl-section urbi-component urbi-component front_view lhl_comp_width_inherit lhl_spacing_t_05 lhl_spacing_b_05 lhl_spacing_l_00 lhl_spacing_r_00 section-background-t' ><div class=\"urbi-component-inner\">\n    <div class=\"is-layout-constrained\">\n\n<p><em>Written By: Rachel Allen\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Hesty approaching her due date in the next week,\u00a0Animal Care Specialists in the Great Ape building thought it would be fun to share some of the training that\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0been working on with Hesty over the last nine months. A big part of what we do here at the\u00a0Zoo is training animals to\u00a0voluntarily\u00a0participate\u00a0in their own medical care, which helps reduce the need for anesthesia or sedation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hesty was born here at Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance almost 16 years ago.&nbsp;When she was born to first-time mom&nbsp;Nias, there were some challenges for Hesty to properly nurse.&nbsp;This was partly due to Nias&#8217;s unusual nipple placement, combined with the fact&nbsp;she\u2019d&nbsp;never experienced a baby orangutan before.&nbsp;In those first few days, Hesty&nbsp;couldn\u2019t&nbsp;latch properly, so she had to be temporarily hand-raised for feeding. Hesty was returned to&nbsp;Nias&nbsp;a couple of times, and training helped&nbsp;Nias&nbsp;guide her to successfully latch and nurse. As Hesty grew up, Animal Care Specialists noticed that she had inherited the same anatomical features as her mom. This means she might face similar challenges nursing her own baby.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\r\n\r\n<div  class='lhl-slideshow-gallery urbi-component urbi-component front_view lhl_comp_width_inherit lhl_spacing_t_05 lhl_spacing_b_00 lhl_spacing_l_00 lhl_spacing_r_00 section-background-t' ><div class=\"\">\r\n    <div class=\"urbi-component-inner\">\r\n\r\n        <div style=\"--swiper-navigation-color: #fff; --swiper-pagination-color: #fff\" class=\"swiper swiper-6a112150bc17emySwiper2 urbi-swiper-gallery-show\">\r\n            <div class=\"swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper--main\">\r\n                                    \r\n                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"952\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0282-952x510.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"952\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0223-952x510.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"952\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0217-952x510.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"952\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/HESTY-Nias-2-952x510.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                    \r\n                        <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"952\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0278-952x510.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                                                <\/div>\r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n\r\n                    <div class=\"lhl-slideshow-gallery__navholder\">\r\n                <div thumbsslider=\"\" class=\"swiper swiper-6a112150bc17emySwiper urbi-swiper-gallery-thumb\">\r\n                    <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\r\n                                                    \r\n                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"145\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0282-145x132.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                                <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            \r\n                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"145\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0223-145x132.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                                <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            \r\n                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"145\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0217-145x132.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                                <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            \r\n                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"145\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/HESTY-Nias-2-145x132.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                                <\/div>\r\n\r\n                            \r\n                                <div class=\"swiper-slide\">\r\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"145\" height=\"132\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/DSC_0278-145x132.jpg\" class=\"urbi-img img-class\" alt=\"\" \/>                                <\/div>\r\n\r\n                                                    \r\n                    <\/div>\r\n\r\n                <\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><\/div>\r\n                <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        \r\n    <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n    <script>\r\n        var swiper = new Swiper(\".swiper-6a112150bc17emySwiper\", {\r\n            loop: true,\r\n            spaceBetween: 28,\r\n            slidesPerView: 5,\r\n            freeMode: true,\r\n            watchSlidesProgress: true,\r\n            breakpoints: {\r\n                \/\/ when window width is >= 320px\r\n                220: {\r\n                    slidesPerView: 2,\r\n                    spaceBetween: 20,\r\n                },\r\n                620: {\r\n                    slidesPerView: 3,\r\n                    spaceBetween: 20,\r\n                },\r\n                \/\/ when window width is >= 480px\r\n                800: {\r\n                    slidesPerView: 4,\r\n                    spaceBetween: 20,\r\n                },\r\n                \/\/ when window width is >= 900px\r\n                900: {\r\n                    slidesPerView: 5,\r\n                    spaceBetween: 28,\r\n                }\r\n            },\r\n        });\r\n        var swiper2 = new Swiper(\".swiper-6a112150bc17emySwiper2\", {\r\n            loop: true,\r\n            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Species Survival Program which essentially acts as an\u00a0orangutan\u00a0dating\u00a0service, taking into account genetics, compatibility, and other factors.\u00a0They helped to\u00a0determine\u00a0that Hesty would be a good match with our male orangutan Jaya.\u00a0She was taken off birth\u00a0control\u00a0and her menstrual cycle was tracked monthly. As soon as her cycle stopped, we were able to collect a urine sample and use a human pregnancy test (along with some anatomical changes) to confirm that Hesty was expecting!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div  class='lhl-section urbi-component urbi-component front_view lhl_comp_width_wide lhl_spacing_t_00 lhl_spacing_b_00 lhl_spacing_l_00 lhl_spacing_r_00 section-background-t  bg-pattern-' ><div class=\"urbi-component-inner\">\n    <div class=\"is-layout-constrained\">\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-220x147.jpg 220w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-50x33.jpg 50w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Orangutan-Jaya-Cerah-vol-rinker-25610-8847-298x199.jpg 298w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Once we knew that Hesty was pregnant, we began training her on&nbsp;a long list&nbsp;of maternal behaviors.&nbsp;The&nbsp;first priority&nbsp;was ultrasound training so we could track the infant\u2019s health and development.&nbsp;For this, Hesty needed to press her belly firmly against the mesh, keep her hands up, and hold that position for up to 10 minutes.&nbsp;She then needed&nbsp;care staff&nbsp;to use ultrasound gel to press down her hair and allow for the best contact for the ultrasound probe.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We trained this step by step, first teaching the position, then gradually increasing the duration while rewarding her with small treats. We also used a fake probe to get her used to the feeling. However, when we introduced ultrasound gel, we hit a snag. Hesty&nbsp;didn\u2019t&nbsp;like the gel in her hair and would&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;move away to wipe it off.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a couple of weeks of trying to desensitize her to the gel, we changed our approach. In consultation with our veterinary team, we switched to using warm water&nbsp;sprayed&nbsp;onto her hair. While it&nbsp;doesn\u2019t&nbsp;provide as much detail, it allows us to see the baby\u2019s movement and positioning\u2014which is what we need most. Hesty was much more comfortable with this, and&nbsp;we\u2019vebeen able to do regular ultrasounds since then. Like any individual, though, she sometimes chooses not to&nbsp;participate, and&nbsp;that\u2019s&nbsp;always her choice. On those days, we try to encourage her with especially high-value treats like sugar-free candy or even a piece of bubble gum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hesty is a first-time mom, but she has had a lot of opportunities to see how to care for an infant.&nbsp;She was able to watch&nbsp;Nias&nbsp;care for her little sister Cerah for the first two years of her life and then Berani took over care of Cerah when&nbsp;Nias&nbsp;passed away unexpectedly.&nbsp;More recently, Hesty has been able to observe Eirina as she has cared for Siska over the last two and half years and she has been watching carefully.&nbsp;In the wild, this is how young orangutans would learn to care for their infants, by watching their mothers&nbsp;or other females&nbsp;care for young.&nbsp;Wefeel confident that Hesty will naturally know what to do and how to care for her baby, but we want to make sure that if she needs any help, we are able to provide that so she can&nbsp;ultimately raise&nbsp;her baby on her own.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working as a team, different Animal Care Specialists focused on different skills.\u00a0One continued strengthening her nipple presentation behavior. Another introduced bottle presentation at the mesh, teaching Hesty to ignore the bottle since it would be for the baby, not her. A third worked on teaching her to \u201cpick up\u201d objects using a laser pointer and then bring them to the mesh to give to an Animal Care Specialist.\u00a0\u00a0We also created small burlap bags filled with hay to act as a \u201cbaby.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Animal Care Specialists adapted an existing metal chute (normally used for voluntary blood draws) to safely pass the burlap \u201cbaby\u201d to Hesty. She learned to retrieve it, hold onto it, and calmly present it at the mesh. Once she was comfortable with that, we upgraded to a stuffed animal\u00a0orangutan.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-id=\"45543\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2540.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2540.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2540-480x360.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-id=\"45542\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2535.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2535.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2535-480x360.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-id=\"45544\" src=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2532.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-45544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2532.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2532-220x165.jpeg 220w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2532-50x38.jpeg 50w, https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_2532-16x12.jpeg 16w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where all the trained behaviors came together. Hesty was asked to pick up the \u201cbaby,\u201d bring it to the mesh, and position it so its \u201cmouth\u201d touched the bottle when offered. It took some practice and repositioning, but she caught on quickly.&nbsp;She\u2019s&nbsp;rewarded with fruit and other treats for calmly holding the \u201cbaby\u201d during these sessions.&nbsp;&nbsp;Animal Care Specialists also taught Hesty to hold the &#8220;baby&#8221; against her chest with the &#8220;mouth&#8221; close to her nipples to simulate how&nbsp;she\u2019ll&nbsp;need to position her real infant for nursing. At the end of each session,&nbsp;she\u2019sasked to return the \u201cbaby\u201d to the chute so it can be safely removed. This behavior would allow Hesty to&nbsp;safely and voluntarily pass her infant&nbsp;to&nbsp;staff&nbsp;if intervention or&nbsp;assist&nbsp;rearing is needed temporarily.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The hope with all this training is that Hesty will not need to use any of it, and she will naturally understand what she needs to do and be successful.&nbsp;We have a lot of confidence in Hesty, but sometimes new moms just need a little help, and we want to be able to provide that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has truly been a team effort from&nbsp;all of&nbsp;our Animal Care Specialists on the&nbsp;Primate&nbsp;Team. Together, we feel confident that Hesty is as prepared as we can help her be for this next great adventure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A medida que se acerca la fecha prevista del parto de Hesty, compartimos con ustedes un vistazo a la formaci\u00f3n, la confianza y el trabajo en equipo que est\u00e1n ayudando a preparar a nuestra madre primeriza para la llegada de su beb\u00e9.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":45084,"template":"","tags":[105,368,152,369],"class_list":["post-45541","dz_contenthub","type-dz_contenthub","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-animal-care","tag-hesty","tag-ssp","tag-sumatran-orangutan"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dz_contenthub\/45541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dz_contenthub"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/dz_contenthub"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/denverzoo.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45541"}],"curies":[{"name":"gracias","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}