Keepers at Chester Zoo are celebrating the birth of a critically endangered Bornean Orangutan.

The new arrival was born on the morning of April 2, in front of a handful of amazed onlookers. The first of its kind born at the Zoo in almost a decade, the newborn arrived following an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy for mum Sarikei. The baby is a first offspring for dad, Willie.

Zoo conservationists say that the baby is a huge boost to a breeding programme, which is working toward saving the iconic species.

The most recent estimates indicate there could be as few as 55,000 Bornean Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus) left on the island of Borneo in Indonesia, the only place they can be found in the wild. The species is heavily threatened by actions that have pushed the species to the very brink of existence: illegal hunting, habitat destruction and the conversion of their forest to palm oil plantations.

Chris Yarwood, primate keeper at the zoo, said, “Seeing mum Sarieki holding her tiny baby close is an amazing sight. It has been eight years since we last celebrated the birth of a Bornean Orangutan at the zoo, but it’s well worth the wait.”

“This is Sarikei’s third baby and although it’s very early days, she is so far doing a wonderful job of caring for her little one. She’s a great mum. It’s also the first youngster that our male Willie has sired. He has a great personality and we’re very hopeful that he will make a great father as he is still young himself and enjoys playing with the other Orangutans.”

Photo Credits: Chester Zoo

Last year the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed the status of the Bornean Orangutan from “Endangered” to “Critically Endangered”. Now more than ever, the species faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild.

Tim Rowlands, the zoo’s curator of mammals, added, “Bornean Orangutan numbers are plummeting at a frightening rate. A major threat to the survival of these magnificent creatures is the unsustainable oil palm industry, which is having a devastating effect on the forests where they live. They are also the victims of habitat loss and illegal hunting.”

“Those who are responsible for their decline have pushed them to the very edge of existence. And if the rate of loss continues, they could very well be extinct in the next few decades. It’s therefore absolutely vital that we have a sustainable population of Bornean Orangutans in zoos, and every addition to the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme is so, so important.”

“It’s also imperative that we continue to tackle the excessive deforestation in Borneo and show people everywhere that they too can make a difference to the long-term survival of Orangutans. Simple everyday choices, such as making sure your product purchases from the supermarket contain only sustainably sourced palm oil, can have a massive impact.”