Charles H. Sloan-The Denver Zoo didn't know who the father of a baby orangutan was. They called in Maury Povich to deliver the paternity test results

Maury Povich announces paternity of the Denver Zoo's newest orangutan

The paternity of a baby orangutan born at the Denver Zoo was a mystery to staff – so they went to the paternity test expert, Maury Povich.

Povich, himself a father of three, is best known for hosting a tabloid talk show where paternity tests were revealed to surprised guests. The segment usually ended in one of two ways, with Povich saying "you are not the father," or "you are the father."

Siska the orangutan is four months old, but it was unclear if her father was 30-year-old Berani or 16-year-old Jaya, the zoo said on X. 

On Monday, the zoo revealed they were settling the paternity debate. "The DNA results are in, and we're delighted to share that we now know who Siska's father is," the zoo said in a post on X. "Stay tuned tomorrow for this special announcement from an extra special guest."

And the results are in! https://t.co/9ezm657XEz

— Denver Zoo (@DenverZoo) December 19, 2023

That special guest was, of course, Povich, who recorded himself opening the results in a tux. "Fresh off receiving the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Honor, Maury Povich is here to help us announce the paternity results for Siska, our four-month-old Sumatran orangutan," the zoo wrote on X on Tuesday.

Like he would on his own show, Povich amped up the drama as he opened a manilla envelope containing the results. "This is really important," he said. "When it comes to the orangutan – 4-month-old Siska – Bernai, You ARE the father." The zoo even mimicked the show by sharing a split screen of Berani and Jaya's photos and zoo staff cheering at the results, just like Povich's audience would. 

Just days before he lent his services to the zoo, Povich spoke on the Daytime Emmys red carpet about his legacy of delivering paternity test results. "They're gonna remember, 'you are the father, you are not the father,'' he told Entertainment Tonight. "That's what they're gonna remember."

Povich, 84, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the ceremony. His show "Maury" ended in 2022 after 31 years.

He told Entertainment Tonight people will ask him to say his iconic line when they meet him on the street. "Well, I react very favorably because if you're on television every day and nobody recognizes you, you're in trouble," he said. "I've always been very generous with my time in public because I believe in that."

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• Denver Zoo

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.