The Los Angeles Post
U.S. World Business Lifestyle
Today: April 05, 2025
Today: April 05, 2025

'You are the father!' Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan

Maury Povich Denver Zoo
December 21, 2023

Initially unsure of which orangutan was the father of a new baby primate, the Denver Zoo decided to have a little fun with the results and turned to the paternity announcement guru himself: former daytime talk show host Maury Povich.

Just as he would do on his long-running show, Povich pulled the purported DNA results for 4-month-old Siska out of an envelope and declared: "Berani. You are the father!โ€

The zoo posted the video on social media this week.

'You are the father!' Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan
Maury Povich Denver Zoo

Siska, a female who was born on Aug. 27, is the first baby for Eirina, a 15-year-old Sumatran orangutan, who came to the Denver Zoo from Germanyโ€™s Dortmund Zoo in 2016.

Sumatran orangutans are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with a rapidly declining wild population due to habitat loss, illegal hunting and the black-market pet trade, the zoo said in announcing Siskaโ€™s birth.

Siska's father remained a mystery because the zoo's animal care team had to wait a few months before Eirina was comfortable allowing them to get close enough to get a hair sample from Siska to compare her DNA against 30-year-old Berani and 16-year-old Jaya.

โ€œWhen I heard we received the results, the first thing that popped into my mind was, โ€˜Berani, you ARE the father!โ€™โ€ Jake Kubiรฉ, the zoo's director of communications, said in an email Thursday.

'You are the father!' Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan
Maury Povich Denver Zoo

โ€œThat led me to do a little light online stalking to track down (Povich's) former executive producer, who was kind enough to connect me with his executive assistant,' Kubiรฉ said.

Kubiรฉ emailed the assistant, asking if it might be possible to have โ€œMaury reveal the paternity results as only he can.โ€

โ€Everyone was incredibly friendly and enthusiastic about the idea, and I canโ€™t express enough gratitude to Maury for dedicating a bit of his time and energy to supporting Denver Zoo โ€” especially on such a big day for him personally," Kubiรฉ said.

Povich, 84, taped his announcement Saturday before attending the Daytime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles where he received a Lifetime Achievement Honor presented by his wife, journalist Connie Chung.

'You are the father!' Maury Povich declares to Denver Zoo orangutan
ODD Maury Povich Denver Zoo

โ€œAs much as Iโ€™d like to think he dressed in a tux for our announcement, it was actually for his big moment at the Emmys,โ€ Kubiรฉ said.

Share This

Popular

Africa|Arts|Celebrity|Entertainment

Malian singer Amadou Bagayoko dies at age 70

Malian singer Amadou Bagayoko dies at age 70
Asia|Celebrity|Entertainment|Lifestyle

Seven serious and unserious โ€˜White Lotusโ€™ theories for the Season 3 finale

Seven serious and unserious โ€˜White Lotusโ€™ theories for the Season 3 finale
Celebrity|Crime|Entertainment|US

โ€˜The most powerful type of liarโ€™: Tapper asks Anna Delvey how she views her criminal past

โ€˜The most powerful type of liarโ€™: Tapper asks Anna Delvey how she views her criminal past
Africa|Arts|Celebrity|Entertainment|World

Iconic Malian musician Amadou Bagayoko of Amadou & Mariam dies at 70

Iconic Malian musician Amadou Bagayoko of Amadou & Mariam dies at 70

Entertainment

Arts|Asia|Entertainment|Environment|Lifestyle

Singer Rara Sekar draws inspiration from nature, encourages people to return to simple living

Singer Rara Sekar draws inspiration from nature, encourages people to return to simple living
Arts|Celebrity|Crime|Entertainment|US

Ex-assistant says filmmaker Paul Schrader sexually assaulted her and backed out of settlement deal

Ex-assistant says filmmaker Paul Schrader sexually assaulted her and backed out of settlement deal
Business|Economy|Entertainment|Technology|US

Walmart denies ABC News report it could join investor group to buy TikTok

Walmart denies ABC News report it could join investor group to buy TikTok
Celebrity|Entertainment

Hailie Jade honors dad Eminem with her first childโ€™s name

Hailie Jade honors dad Eminem with her first childโ€™s name

Access this article for free.

Already have an account? Sign In