Waco orangutan expecting, registered at Target for baby shower

Cameron Park Zoo is getting ready for a big celebration Sunday, as an orangutan couple will be showered with gifts for their expected baby and a few for the parents as well, according to a Target gift registry set up by zoo staff.

Announcement of Mei and KJ’s orangutan baby shower was posted on the Cameron Park Zoo Facebook page.

On the registry? Spongebob Squarepants bubble bath, Play-Doh, finger paint, the classic book Goodnight Moon, and of course, a Dolly Parton Pure & Simple CD and Britney Spears fragrance. Because animals have different tastes, also on the list is The Very Best of Simon & Garfunkel.

Each item was selected to provide enrichment activities for not only the new arrival but other zoo animals, Terri Cox, zoo curator of exhibits and programs, told the Waco Tribune-Herald.

Instead of just sticking the animals in front of a television, staff makes sure they are stimulated mentally by providing activities, such as painting, which is enjoyed by orangutans, otters, elephants, giraffes and porcupines, according to the story. But if you are going use television to entertain, might as well have a few good DVDs on hand such as Zootopia and The Princess Bride, also on the registry.

“It’s quite expensive to run a zoo of the caliber of ours,” Cox told the Tribune-Herald. “We always need more money for enrichment items. Not food — that’s in our budget always. But for extras like that, we have a small budget but not nearly enough to do all the things we need to do.”

Mei is due in late January, but don’t expect a gender reveal at the shower. Mei’s trainer said despite weekly ultrasounds, the sex of the baby is unclear, according to the story.

This story was originally published December 11, 2016 at 8:38 PM with the headline "Waco orangutan expecting, registered at Target for baby shower."