Blind orangutans give birth to twins in Indonesia

The Jakarta Post, The Associated Press, Thu, 01/27/2011

Gober, an elderly female Sumatran orangutan who is blind in both eyes due to
cataracts, lies down with her twin babies at a rehabilitation center in Sibolangit,
North Sumatra, Indonesia, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011. The twins were born on
Friday Jan. 21, 2011 from both blind parents. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara)

A blind orangutan at a rescue center in Indonesia has given birth to a healthy pair of twins.

Ian Singleton, with the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Program, said Thursday the mother so far appears able to care for the babies herself.

But vets are ready to step in and help if necessary. The babies' father is also blind.

There are around 50,000 orangutans left in the wild, 90 percent of them in Indonesia, with another 2,000 in rescue centers.

Some were seized in the illegal wildlife trade and others orphaned when their mothers strayed from rapidly disappearing rain forests in search of food.

The twins' mother is blind with cataracts.

The father was found outside a national park after air rifle pellets lodged in his eyes when he was shot.

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Blind orangutan gives birth to twins in Indonesia