Critically endangered orangutan born at Dudley Zoo

A critically endangered Bornean orangutan has been born at a zoo.

Dudley Zoo and Castle said the male was born at the site's newly built £500,000 outdoor enclosure on 25 June.

His mother, Jazz, aged 30, is also the parent of an 11-year-old female named Sprout, while father Djimat, 33, arrived from Denmark in October as part of a European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).

The zoo said it was "thrilled" with the arrival.

Upper primates section leader, Pat Stevens, said: "The baby is gorgeous and looks to be alert and feeding well as he snuggles up to mum, while we've also spotted dad, Djimat, looking on lovingly at his newest offspring."

The zoo said keepers were able to confirm the pregnancy with a urine test and Jazz had been closely monitored during her eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy.

The baby means the zoo now has five Bornean orangutan numbers, consisting of the family group and solitary male Benji.

Listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the zoo said, Bornean orangutans, who share approximately 97% of their DNA with humans, are one of the most threatened animal species in the world.

They are under threat, it said, mainly due to the loss of habitat in their native Indonesia for the benefit of palm oil plantations, illegal logging and illegal hunting.

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