Wanted: suitable bride for a bright simian
By Wu Jiao (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-29 06:43

NANJING: Le Shen is considered quite a catch in his community. He's at the right age to date 6 is easygoing, has a sense of humour and is good at his job.

Problem is, there's no one suitable around after all, orangutans are a species even more rare than giant pandas in China.

So Hongshan Forest Zoo where Le Shen lives has set out on a global matchmaking mission by sending out invitations to 40 zoos in the country and overseas for a mate.

"Hopefully, there will be an answer," said Li Rongmei, manager of the zoo in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu Province.

According to Li, there are only about 100 orangutans in various zoos around China; worldwide, their population is estimated at 6,000. Their average lifespan is about 40 years.

Originating from virgin forests in Indonesia, orangutans are among the three species of the monkey family on a worldwide protection list along with gorillas and chimpanzees, according to Li.

"Almost all the orangutans in China are imported," Li said.

Le Shen was the first orangutan born and nurtured in China, and will reach adulthood in two years, according to Li. His parents were gifts to Nanjing from the municipal government of Nagoya, Japan, in 1993.

"As a bride is so hard to find, we have to prepare early for his marriage," said the manager.

The problem is, she said, most female orangutans in China are much older than Le Shen, while the ideal age should be up to two years older or younger than him.

Li and her co-workers are hopeful about a response from zoos in Japan, but even if they find the right candidate, bringing her to China is not easy.

"We have to go through all the Customs procedures and paperwork so it is not easy to import one," said Li.

And then there is the bigger question: will the chemistry be right and sparks fly?

"Orangutans are very cautious in love. It may take them many years to fall in love," explained Li.

And if Le Shen has inherited any of his mother's genes, that could well be true: it took his mother, Taizi, almost six years to observe and make up her mind about his father, Li said.

But then Li is confident of Le Shen's charm.

"He's such a nice guy. He is very easygoing and funny. He is good at swinging and playing with horizontal bars. He is the star of our zoo."

To know more about him, you can look up the website set up by his fans in Nanjing: Leshen2005.blog.tom.com.

And as one viewer commented: He's very lovely.

(China Daily 12/29/2005 page1)