For the first time in twenty years, an orangutan from Borneo has given birth at Blackpool Zoo.
The "very special" arrival is a part of a breeding program to safeguard the endangered species.
The birth of the male was "wonderful news" for the zoo and the critically endangered primates, according to Blackpool Zoo director Darren Webster.
He declared that breeding programs were "absolutely vital" to preserving the species' future.
Because of habitat loss, it is expected that the population of Bornean orangutans will decrease by 86 percent between 1950 and 2025.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature has designated it as critically endangered, which means there is now an "extremely high" risk of its extinction in the wild.
We have been working hard to establish a breeding group to help safeguard the future of this magnificent species, and one of our resident females, Summer, gave birth to the last child to be born here, according to Mr. Webster.
The orangutans in Blackpool are a part of the European Endangered Species Programme, and 13-year-old Jingga, who is a first-time mother, moved to Blackpool from her birthplace in Barcelona in 2017.
In 2022, she moved to Apenheul Zoo in the Netherlands with Cherie and Summer, who were born in Blackpool, and the baby's father, Kawan, also 13.
On June 14, in the wee hours, Jingga gave birth.
The five individuals reside in the specially constructed, £1 million Orangutan Outlook facility at Blackpool Zoo.
To allow the mother and son to bond, the orangutan house has been closed to the public. On July 1, visitors will be allowed back in.
According to Mr. Webster, Blackpool Zoo is hoping that the new arrival "is the start of a new generation of beautiful Bornean orangutans."
