Whipsnade Zoo: Newborn monkey a 'sign of hope' for species

The birth of a monkey at a zoo has been hailed as a "sign of hope" for its endangered species.

The baby Francois' langur was born on 17 February at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire.

Zookeeper Amanda Robinson said the team was ecstatic when they saw mother Lulu cradling her bright orange baby.

Ms Robinson said the newborn was a "ray of sunshine" amid "plummeting" numbers of the primates in the wild.

She said the bright colour made it easier for keepers and visitors to spot the new addition.

"It's believed the babies are born with bright orange locks so that parents can easily spot the youngster when they're being cared for by the troop," she said.

"Over time this hair will fade to black."

The birth brings the number of Francois' langurs at Whipsnade Zoo to five.

Its gender is not known yet as the mother is naturally "keeping baby very close", the zoo said.

Native to China and northern Vietnam, Francois' langurs are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of threatened species. Their numbers have continued to fall in the wild, which makes the birth internationally important.

The infant was born as part of a European Endangered Species Breeding Programme, an internationally coordinated conservation initiative aimed at boosting the numbers of species that are threatened in the wild.

"Sadly, in the wild the number of Francois' langurs are plummeting, so this newborn really is a ray of sunshine and a sign of hope for the species," Ms Robinson said.

It is estimated there are only 2,000 left in the wild as the species faces threats from illegal hunting for their meat and for traditional medicinal purposes.

At the Francois' langurs habitat, big sister Nguyen has also been taking care of the newborn, sharing parenting responsibilities with Lulu and father Wang.

"Nguyen has been staying close to her mum Lulu and giving her a break when she needs to eat or drink," Ms Robinson said.

"She's been treating the newborn like it's her own baby, which is exactly what you'd see in the wild - it shows the eight-year-old has picked up great skills from the older members of the troop."

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