Breastfeeding Mom’s Emotional Encounter With Orangutan At The Oldest Zoo In The World Goes Viral
Gemma Copeland is a keen traveler and she didn’t want to end her journeys just because she had a child. She also wanted her son to explore the world from an early age. So, Gemma and her partner took him to Vienna, Austria. However, the mother didn’t expect this trip would change her own perception of the world. But it did. All thanks to an empathetic great ape who took the time to engage with Gemma and her child during a very intimate moment.
While the guys were visiting the Schönbrunn Zoo, Gemma’s boy got hungry. She sat down by the window of an orangutan enclosure to breastfeed her child and that’s when the magic happened.
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Image credits: Gemma Copeland
Image credits: Gemma Copeland
“My breastfeeding experiences in public have been diverse, some people looking curious, others content and the odd negative one,” Gemma told Bored Panda. “Once I was asked to cover my little boy whilst he was feeding to which I responded by handing over a spare muslin and asking them if they minded covering their shallow-minded selves. This quickly ended the situation leaving me to enjoy my coffee and bonding with my son.”
Luckily, this time people appreciated the beauty of nursing happening in front of them. And you probably couldn’t find a more fitting place for something like this to happen than the Schönbrunn Zoo. Founded in 1752, it is the oldest continuously operating zoo in the world. It prides itself on being a scientifically administered establishment that sees its main purpose as a center for species conservation and general nature conservation. The preserved structures of the baroque era, which have been complemented in the last years with elements of modern architecture, create a unique atmosphere by preserving a good impression of the 18th-century menagerie-buildings.
“I would like to think Vienna chose us as opposed to us choosing Vienna,” Gemma said. “When searching for our trip, I had no destination in mind but it proved to be a life-changing choice as little did we know what was about to happen.”
Image credits: Gemma Copeland
When Gemma’s post went viral, she wanted to use the exposure for a good cause
Image credits: Gemma Copeland
Copeland’s story reached nearly 5 million people. While trying to figure out how to convert this into something tangible, Gemma decided to give back to the beautiful creatures whose relative is responsible for all of this in the first place.
“I’ve been given an opportunity and a platform to attempt to make a change [so] I’d like to raise money for the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of the orangutan,” the animal lover said.
The woman urges people to think about donating to the Borneo Orangutan Rescue who is dedicated to saving these critically endangered animals
Image credits: gemma6706
Interestingly, these great apes share 96.4% of our genes and are highly intelligent creatures; they use sophisticated tools and construct elaborate sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage.
Orangutans have been extensively studied for their advanced learning abilities, and research suggests there may even be distinctive cultures within populations. Currently, all three orangutan species are critically endangered. Sadly, human activities are to blame for the severe declines in populations and ranges. Threats to wild orangutans include poaching, habitat destruction driven by palm oil cultivation, and the illegal pet trade.
Image credits: gemma6706
“For all our modern advances, this moment proved to me that although species apart, we’re just the same,” the mother said. “We are all equal. The nurturing care of our children is paramount, regardless of race, gender, and even species. At that moment, we were one.”
Here’s what people said about Gemma’s special moment
To all the people saying that it's horrible and sad that these creatures are in zoos for our entertainment, they're not. They're there because their lands are being pillaged for profit, their families are being killed by poachers for profit and their species are dying in droves for, you guesses it, profit. Zoos are non-profit organizations that use the funds from visitors and donors to spur breeding programs to preserve the species. The safest place for these animals a lot of the time is in a zoo. They receive top rate healthcare and guaranteed nutrition. It can be a lonely life for them, but it's a better alternative to being starved, hunted or dead. Zoos are not an entertainment industry, they are a conservation industry.
Yes and no. Most of those animals are in the zoo because they're grandparents were killed by people who wanted them for Zoos; which is also why so many animals are extinct or critically endangered. Some Zoos are mostly temporary rehabilitation for animals that can be set back into the wild. There are plenty of areas in the wild were animals are raised protected and brought back from the brink of extinction.
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This is interesting. I like documentaries and articles about animal behaviour, and finding out how similar we can be. This story was very sweet.
I've always loved nature documentaries! And I guess because I watch them my son (9) now enjoys them too ^-^ have you seen seven world's one planet yet? It's the new Attenborough one it's amazing and sad, he contrasts it with some footage from his original journeys as a young man. Such a sad difference
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That one comment about the attention-seeking mom is totally WRONG. This mom can breast feed wherever she wants, and you or anyone else shouldn't have a problen with it. Jst wanted to put that out there.
Maybe the person who commented was just jealous of the attention. The orangutan can associate with who it wants. A human on the ground is not blocking the view. Plus if the mother helps raise funds, good on her!
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Those who are talking against zoos should read a bit about the work of Gerald Durrell and his policy for zoos. And read some of his books so they can abandon the false idea of "animals living happily in the wild". It is not true any more, maybe never was.
He collected animals in his earlier expeditions for zoos, much like David Attenborough did, but his intention for Jersey was as a breeding & regeneration program for endangered and threatened species, to release them back into the wild when they reached a sustainable number, and for the public to appreciate them in a habitat he tried to keep as close to the original as possible. The Trust also assisted in setting up similar programs across the world.
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WHERE TO DONATE $1 (or more if you want), to help save these beautiful creatures. :) https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/orangutan-sanctuary
Thank you for the link I'm now a member Lol! It's easy guys you don't have to give much just a tiny bit from everyone will make huge change ^-^
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Glen Arndt (above) What is your problem perv? If she'd been feeding baby with a bottle in the same place you wouldn't have said a thing. Breasts are for feeding babies, not being sex objects for you. You are the one with an problem, not her.
I watch all the zoo programs and they all give me joy and hope for the future of God's precious creatures. I am also a member of Columbus' wonderful Zoo and Aquarium, which is ranked as one of the best. Please don't criticize our zoos. All the accredited zoos must adhere to strict standards. They all work together with breeding programs to make certain species don't disappear. Many creatures ARE returned to the wild. Many beautiful animals were injured and zoos save their lives and make certain they live out their lives well taken care of while also gleaning important information that is invaluable. Try watching some of the zoo programs and see how well these animals are treated and how much their keepers love them. Very few zoo animals are taken from the wild. Most are born in zoos or were rescued. Accredited zoos are blessings for animals and the public. Just look at what's happening in Australia right now and how that zoo is saving the wildlife.
Virginia the question is if animals like zoos to call their home. What about stop massacring animals in the wild? Then they would not need to be confided in the Zoos and bread.
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One mom supporting another, with a deep and personal understanding of motherhood (assuming this female orangutan is familiar with it by either having babies of her own or assisting other orang moms with their babies).
Glen Arndt, that was a typical male comment, what is it with males attitude to breast-feeding, jealousy?
He wasn't anti-breastfeeding, he was anti attention seeking/narcissism. I have both kinds in my family. The 'look at me, look at me' brand of public breast feeding could not be more obnoxious. We get it, the baby is hungry feed the baby, there may or may not be people around, I get it. However, you do not need to ensure you have an audience and make a production out of it. It's like those twits who insist on the yoga poses on public beaches for instagram photos.
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Dolphins like pregnant women. They have built in ultrasound and have live babies also.
Shows that animals have a lot more empathy than some people. Just think of all those people giving breastfeeding mums the side-eye and and orangutan showing support.
I don't have a problem with women breast feeding in public, but this seems like a social media set up. You don't think, "I have to feed my child, let me just sit against this animal habitat where other people are trying to enjoy the exhibit."
True. You think "the baby is crying, my boobs are starting to leak, where's the nearest place to nurse? Oh it's really far away. The baby is louder. Okee dokee let's just sit down here."
Load More Replies... We are not quite as far apart from these primates as would like to believe.
If you "hate" zoos you don't realize how much good some of them do. They take in animals with behavioral issues that would be put down rather than released, they have helped save some species from extinction, they care for animals who have illness or injury that would prevent them living in the wild. What would be ideal is if we had fewer zoos that were at the top of their game with only the BEST facilities and space for each animal as some zoos are small and the enclosures are inadequate. But zoos do have a place.
Crochet, that is done in the wildlife rehabilitation places and sanctuaries.
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not sure where everyone's getting the idea that there were loads of people around when she did this.... it sounds like it was at the end of the day, no one was really around, and it's a natural thing to do, anyways. breasts are not inherently sexual, and the only people who think that they are are immature and, quite frankly, idiots.
This orangutan proved one of the great truths: motherly instinct can be found in all species of animals. A mother can always tell when she is in the presence of another mother and that orangutan was showing her approval for that woman taking care of her baby. The person who said she was sitting there for attention is just trying to be a jerk. Also zoos are a great thing and I believe countless animals' lives have been saved by zoos. They protect animals from being killed unnecessarily in the wild.
"I wish the glass wasn't between us"... then you're a fool. Yes, they're beautiful and all that, but they can also kill you easily. They are fast and extraordinarily strong. I love animals, I hate zoos, but I'm also not stupid enough to think that I should be that close to an orangutan or a chimpanzee. These comments...
Everything is divine. Orang-Utans know that. They feel what humanity has lost with the "bite in the apple" - since we live in duality of subject and object
It is essential to learn who and what animals are. We are so very unconscious in terms of recognition of who and what we are and what we see before our very eyes. Everything is divine. Consciousness expresses just differently. Since we have bitten into the apple, since we see duality and objects, we do not know who we are - before we felt it - now we even do not feel it anymore. But the divine plan is that consciousness awakens "in flesh", in living beings. Lets see whether we will be intelligent enough to do that step in evolution. Otherwise evolution has to try again to bring into life a conscious species.
As much as almost all the people hate to see animals living in captivity and wanted them to go back to wild there are those that cannot really released back since some of them are fully human dependent also some of them are handicapped that they will just die out there because they can't hunt for food for themselves anymore. I will be angry if the zoo or any shelter that mistreats or neglect those that in their care but as long as they were given enough food and space they will be fine instead of them dying in the wild from natural causes or from poachers.
rhyan, that is the reason humanity needs to change its behavior or all life on earth will die out, including our own.
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I find that the only ppl who r uncomfortable w breastfeeding r those who've never had a breastfeeding baby and or anyone who isnt educated enough to know that this is a free country and feeding a child whether breast or bottle is a parents choice and a right...whoever has issues w that remember its ur problem not theirs and U have no right to say anything...if U cant say something nice dont say anything at all!!
Val Naim, congratulations! You've won! You were the most horrible human being on the planet the moment you posted your sick thoughts. God, I pity anyone who encounters you at anytime, or anyplace. You are the personification of ugliness and evil.
Load More Replies...
To all the people saying that it's horrible and sad that these creatures are in zoos for our entertainment, they're not. They're there because their lands are being pillaged for profit, their families are being killed by poachers for profit and their species are dying in droves for, you guesses it, profit. Zoos are non-profit organizations that use the funds from visitors and donors to spur breeding programs to preserve the species. The safest place for these animals a lot of the time is in a zoo. They receive top rate healthcare and guaranteed nutrition. It can be a lonely life for them, but it's a better alternative to being starved, hunted or dead. Zoos are not an entertainment industry, they are a conservation industry.
Yes and no. Most of those animals are in the zoo because they're grandparents were killed by people who wanted them for Zoos; which is also why so many animals are extinct or critically endangered. Some Zoos are mostly temporary rehabilitation for animals that can be set back into the wild. There are plenty of areas in the wild were animals are raised protected and brought back from the brink of extinction.
Load More Replies... This is interesting. I like documentaries and articles about animal behaviour, and finding out how similar we can be. This story was very sweet.
I've always loved nature documentaries! And I guess because I watch them my son (9) now enjoys them too ^-^ have you seen seven world's one planet yet? It's the new Attenborough one it's amazing and sad, he contrasts it with some footage from his original journeys as a young man. Such a sad difference
Load More Replies... That one comment about the attention-seeking mom is totally WRONG. This mom can breast feed wherever she wants, and you or anyone else shouldn't have a problen with it. Jst wanted to put that out there.
Maybe the person who commented was just jealous of the attention. The orangutan can associate with who it wants. A human on the ground is not blocking the view. Plus if the mother helps raise funds, good on her!
Load More Replies... Those who are talking against zoos should read a bit about the work of Gerald Durrell and his policy for zoos. And read some of his books so they can abandon the false idea of "animals living happily in the wild". It is not true any more, maybe never was.
He collected animals in his earlier expeditions for zoos, much like David Attenborough did, but his intention for Jersey was as a breeding & regeneration program for endangered and threatened species, to release them back into the wild when they reached a sustainable number, and for the public to appreciate them in a habitat he tried to keep as close to the original as possible. The Trust also assisted in setting up similar programs across the world.
Load More Replies... WHERE TO DONATE $1 (or more if you want), to help save these beautiful creatures. :) https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org/orangutan-sanctuary
Thank you for the link I'm now a member Lol! It's easy guys you don't have to give much just a tiny bit from everyone will make huge change ^-^
Load More Replies... Glen Arndt (above) What is your problem perv? If she'd been feeding baby with a bottle in the same place you wouldn't have said a thing. Breasts are for feeding babies, not being sex objects for you. You are the one with an problem, not her.
I watch all the zoo programs and they all give me joy and hope for the future of God's precious creatures. I am also a member of Columbus' wonderful Zoo and Aquarium, which is ranked as one of the best. Please don't criticize our zoos. All the accredited zoos must adhere to strict standards. They all work together with breeding programs to make certain species don't disappear. Many creatures ARE returned to the wild. Many beautiful animals were injured and zoos save their lives and make certain they live out their lives well taken care of while also gleaning important information that is invaluable. Try watching some of the zoo programs and see how well these animals are treated and how much their keepers love them. Very few zoo animals are taken from the wild. Most are born in zoos or were rescued. Accredited zoos are blessings for animals and the public. Just look at what's happening in Australia right now and how that zoo is saving the wildlife.
Virginia the question is if animals like zoos to call their home. What about stop massacring animals in the wild? Then they would not need to be confided in the Zoos and bread.
Load More Replies... One mom supporting another, with a deep and personal understanding of motherhood (assuming this female orangutan is familiar with it by either having babies of her own or assisting other orang moms with their babies).
Glen Arndt, that was a typical male comment, what is it with males attitude to breast-feeding, jealousy?
He wasn't anti-breastfeeding, he was anti attention seeking/narcissism. I have both kinds in my family. The 'look at me, look at me' brand of public breast feeding could not be more obnoxious. We get it, the baby is hungry feed the baby, there may or may not be people around, I get it. However, you do not need to ensure you have an audience and make a production out of it. It's like those twits who insist on the yoga poses on public beaches for instagram photos.
Load More Replies... Dolphins like pregnant women. They have built in ultrasound and have live babies also.
Shows that animals have a lot more empathy than some people. Just think of all those people giving breastfeeding mums the side-eye and and orangutan showing support.
I don't have a problem with women breast feeding in public, but this seems like a social media set up. You don't think, "I have to feed my child, let me just sit against this animal habitat where other people are trying to enjoy the exhibit."
True. You think "the baby is crying, my boobs are starting to leak, where's the nearest place to nurse? Oh it's really far away. The baby is louder. Okee dokee let's just sit down here."
Load More Replies... We are not quite as far apart from these primates as would like to believe.
If you "hate" zoos you don't realize how much good some of them do. They take in animals with behavioral issues that would be put down rather than released, they have helped save some species from extinction, they care for animals who have illness or injury that would prevent them living in the wild. What would be ideal is if we had fewer zoos that were at the top of their game with only the BEST facilities and space for each animal as some zoos are small and the enclosures are inadequate. But zoos do have a place.
Crochet, that is done in the wildlife rehabilitation places and sanctuaries.
Load More Replies... not sure where everyone's getting the idea that there were loads of people around when she did this.... it sounds like it was at the end of the day, no one was really around, and it's a natural thing to do, anyways. breasts are not inherently sexual, and the only people who think that they are are immature and, quite frankly, idiots.
This orangutan proved one of the great truths: motherly instinct can be found in all species of animals. A mother can always tell when she is in the presence of another mother and that orangutan was showing her approval for that woman taking care of her baby. The person who said she was sitting there for attention is just trying to be a jerk. Also zoos are a great thing and I believe countless animals' lives have been saved by zoos. They protect animals from being killed unnecessarily in the wild.
"I wish the glass wasn't between us"... then you're a fool. Yes, they're beautiful and all that, but they can also kill you easily. They are fast and extraordinarily strong. I love animals, I hate zoos, but I'm also not stupid enough to think that I should be that close to an orangutan or a chimpanzee. These comments...
Everything is divine. Orang-Utans know that. They feel what humanity has lost with the "bite in the apple" - since we live in duality of subject and object
It is essential to learn who and what animals are. We are so very unconscious in terms of recognition of who and what we are and what we see before our very eyes. Everything is divine. Consciousness expresses just differently. Since we have bitten into the apple, since we see duality and objects, we do not know who we are - before we felt it - now we even do not feel it anymore. But the divine plan is that consciousness awakens "in flesh", in living beings. Lets see whether we will be intelligent enough to do that step in evolution. Otherwise evolution has to try again to bring into life a conscious species.
As much as almost all the people hate to see animals living in captivity and wanted them to go back to wild there are those that cannot really released back since some of them are fully human dependent also some of them are handicapped that they will just die out there because they can't hunt for food for themselves anymore. I will be angry if the zoo or any shelter that mistreats or neglect those that in their care but as long as they were given enough food and space they will be fine instead of them dying in the wild from natural causes or from poachers.
rhyan, that is the reason humanity needs to change its behavior or all life on earth will die out, including our own.
Load More Replies... I find that the only ppl who r uncomfortable w breastfeeding r those who've never had a breastfeeding baby and or anyone who isnt educated enough to know that this is a free country and feeding a child whether breast or bottle is a parents choice and a right...whoever has issues w that remember its ur problem not theirs and U have no right to say anything...if U cant say something nice dont say anything at all!!
Val Naim, congratulations! You've won! You were the most horrible human being on the planet the moment you posted your sick thoughts. God, I pity anyone who encounters you at anytime, or anyplace. You are the personification of ugliness and evil.
Load More Replies...
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