This made my day: Orangutan listens to visitor's baby bump at Singapore Zoo

Orangutans are one of the closest relatives to the human race, and interactions like these remind you exactly why that's the case.

An orangutan was seen pressing its ear to the glass wall of its enclosure in the Singapore Zoo and listening to a pregnant woman's belly in a TikTok video uploaded on July 8 to user Ihsahnmohd's account.

"An orangutan came to my pregnant wife and listened to the baby's heartbeat," Ihsahnmohd wrote in the video.

In the video, the orangutan presses the side of its head to the glass, appearing to have an almost calm and contemplative look on its face.

Meanwhile, the pregnant woman strokes the glass on the other end, as though caressing the orangutan.

Netizens also shared their thoughts on the couple's wholesome experience.

"Such a heartwarming sight," a user wrote. "Now I want to go to the zoo."

Another shared, referring to the orangutan: "That's Charlie! He was hand-raised from young so he's really comfortable with humans! So special for you to be able to experience this!"

Commented another user: "Charlie did the same thing with my mum!"

@ihsahnmohd Orang utan listening to baby in tummy@Singapore Zoo #singapore #singaporezoo #singaporetiktok #orangutan #wholesome #fyp ♬ Home (Option 3 - The Young Ebenezers

Charlie, 45, is a Sumatran orangutan - a critically endangered species - at the Singapore Zoo. Charlie has no offspring of his own.

It's not uncommon for orangutans to exhibit such a propensity for affection towards humans.

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In 2015, an orangutan made headlines after it kissed a pregnant woman's belly in Colchester Zoo in England.

The same orangutan, Rajang, did so again in 2017, much to the delight of the woman it kissed through the glass.

"The moment was absolutely amazing," Morgain Cole Abbott, 27, told American news outlet Today. 

"I'd heard Rajang likes pregnant bellies, but I never imagined he'd notice mine. He really zoned in on me, and I felt like we had a real connection.

"It really shows how intelligent and knowing these incredible creatures are. It made me so emotional as I honestly feel humans and animals can have a connection, and I felt I could have stayed there with him all day."

According to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Library, orangutans are generally non-aggressive towards humans and each other. When in captivity, they even imitate human caretakers.

Orangutans rarely engage in play, and when they do, it's usually between an infant and its mother.

Moreover, orangutans also "exhibit aspects of culture" and have behavioural traits learned from one another that are passed on to future generations.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com