El Paso Zoo officials say Ibu the Sumatran orangutan is pregnant with her first baby.
Zookeepers say she is about four months along and expect her give birth in late April or early May.
The baby also is the first offspring for its father, Butch, and is an important part of the zoo's conservation efforts of the Sumatran orangutan. Conservationists worry the species could become extinct if efforts aren't made to help it survive.
According to zoo officials, the population has declined more than 50 percent during the past few decades, with an estimated population of 7,300.
Ibu is one of 12 females paired with another male orangutan in U.S. zoos as part of a breeding program by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
