Female Orangutan Sits Near Breastfeeding Mom, Lovingly Strokes Baby Through The Glass

Even though it is the most natural thing in the world, breastfeeding is still associated with a lot of stigmas. It is not uncommon for new moms to be asked to “cover-up” or go to the restroom to nurse their babies. However, slowly but steadily the taboos are being smashed and many tourist destinations are setting up special feeding stations/rooms for their comfort and privacy.

According to Mail Online, 30-year-old Gemma Copeland recently visited the Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria, with her partner Shane and their son Jasper. When she had to feed her baby there, she received love and support from an unlikely source – a female orangutan named Sol in one of the enclosures.

Mirror UK reports that the orangutan had previously given birth to a stillborn infant. When she saw Gemma nursing her baby, she sat beside her protectively and showed her love without words.

The Sun quoted the mom saying,

“The way the orangutan reacted took my breath away. She kept looking at me, then my son then back again. She sat with me for approximately half an hour, kept stroking the glass and lay down next to me as if to support and protect me. I had to share this because my mind was blown, we may be a species apart but breastfeeding connected us today in a once in a lifetime moment that will stay with me forever.”

When people saw the heart-rending video, there was not a dry eye in the house. Everyone was mesmerized by the tenderness displayed by the orangutan.

This video proves that maternal instincts are universal. A mother’s love is selfless, unconditional and extends beyond the classification of species.