I live in the US and sometimes hear stories about malnourished baby orangutans in Borneo or Sumatra who were fed condensed milk...?

Question

What should they have been fed instead? It seems unlikely that their mothers' breasts excreted orange juice, pineapple juice, papaya juice, fruit cocktail juice, and so on.

I'm not insensitive to the issue, but milk seems as though it would be the best bet, so please enlighten me.

熊冰冰 · Answer

All animal milks are not equivalent.  Different animals have different nutrition requirements. Even whole cows' milk is probably not suitable for baby orangs. Besides that, condensed milk is basically a thick milk syrup.  It's over 50% sugar.

Pat Wooden · Answer

Condensed milk IS milk, with much of the liquid removed.  It is used instead of regular milk because it can be stored unrefrigerated, an important concern in hot climates.

I live in the US and sometimes hear stories about malnourished baby orangutans in Borneo or Sumatra who were fed condensed milk...?

2 Answers