Whitlee Turner was happy to show another new mom how to breastfeed — and it made no difference to her that the other new mom is an orangutan.
Turner is a zookeeper at the Metro Richmond Zoo in Mosley, Virginia, home to Zoe the orangutan.
Being a mom didn’t come naturally to Zoe.
When Zoe welcomed her first baby, a son named Taavi, in 2021, she struggled to bond with him, according to zoo director Jim Andelin.
“She would hold him sort of like he was a soda can, and never bring him close to her,” Andelin tells TODAY.com. “She refused to nurse. She didn’t even want to look at him.”
Andelin notes that Zoe, who is now 13, was orphaned at nine months old, and primates typically learn behaviors from their mothers.
Eventually, Andelin and Zoe’s caretakers made the decision to hand-raise Taavi.
When Zoe became pregnant for the second time, a TV was installed in her enclosure so that she could watch videos on a loop of orangutans giving birth and caring for their young. Caretakers worked with Zoe on a daily basis in hopes of kickstarting her maternal instincts.
Their efforts resulted in success. Zoe gave birth to a son on Dec. 12, 2022, and immediately began doting on him.
“It was like night and day,” Andelin says. But there was one problem: Zoe was still uninterested in breastfeeding.
Enter Whitlee Turner.
Turner, a zookeeper and new mom, was asked by zoo veterinarian Cheryl Antonucci if she would teach Zoe how to nurse.
“She was like, ‘Wait until Caleb is really hungry so that Zoe can see him rooting and looking for the nipple,’” Turner tells TODAY.com.
Turner happily agreed and did a live demonstration for Zoe. By watching Turner, Zoe learned a proper hold and how to latch.
“I talked her through the process,” Turner says. “She sat right in front of me, and was engaged the entire time. She'd take little breaks and go and rest, and then she'd come back to me."
Less than 24 hours later, Zoe nursed her baby for the first time.
Turner says she feels a special connection with Zoe.
“I also had trouble breastfeeding. It was stressful in the beginning. It’s a very natural thing, but it doesn’t always come naturally,” Turner says. “It really does take a village. I feel like moms just always have each other's backs.”