An orangutan has been born at Blackpool zoo as part of efforts to save the dwindling species.
The new arrival is the first Bornean orangutan to be born at the zoo in 20 years, making him a “very special baby”, zookeepers said.
The species has been classed as critically endangered since 2016, as populations have shrunk by half in the past 60 years, and it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
The WWF estimates there are just over 100,000 left in the wild.
Breeding programmes – such as the EAZA Ex Situ Programme (EEP) which Blackpool zoo is part of – are “absolutely vital” for the preservation of these animals, the zoo’s director Darren Webster said.
“The arrival of this very special baby is wonderful news, not just for us here at Blackpool zoo, but for the species too,” he said. “One of our resident females, Summer, was the last baby to be born here and we have been working hard to create a breeding group to help safeguard the future of this magnificent species.”
A name has not yet been decided for the baby, which was born in the early hours of 14 June.
This is the second time the baby’s mother, a gentle-natured 13-year-old named Jingga, has been in the headlines. She became a minor internet celebrity in 2015 after a video of her being surprised by a magic trick went viral, with more than 170m views to date.
The baby’s father, Kawan, was selected to form a breeding group at Blackpool zoo after extensive talks with experts from the EEP and specialist keepers from the UK and beyond.
The group of five Bornean orangutans live in Blackpool zoo’s £1m Orangutan Outlook facility, which has been specially designed to meet the complicated needs of the species.
