This past weekend Saturday, November 8th, and Sunday, November 9th, the Philadelphia Zoo had a special screening of Animal Planet’s season two premiere of Orangutan Island.

Screenings were held regularly throughout the weekend in the Zoo’s award-winning Bank of America Big Cat Falls Theater.

Orangutan Island’s Executive Producer, Martha Ripp, introduced the first screening at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, and followed it up with a special meet-and-greet at noon.

In addition to special keeper talks and demonstrations, guests of the Zoo could also visit the Zoo’s orangutans, Sugi and Tua, inside the fully-heated PECO Primate Reserve. They could discover fascinating facts about orangutans while learning ways to help protect orangutans in the wild.

A cadre of young volunteers were on hand to greet zoogoers and teach them about orangutans. It was also Tua’s birthday on Election Day. The American people gave her a very special birthday gift!

Sugi– the resident alpha male.

The lovely Tua, birthday girl and queen of the manor.

Kate and Emma were in charge of Tua’s birthday table.

Just a few of Tua’s many birthday cards.

Taylor was in charge of the orangutan enrichment booth.

Alex and Sara were showing people the size of an orangutan’s hands as well as an orangutan hair sample.

The greatest tuft of orangutan hair ever…

Orangutan awareness info board.

The enrichment box.