'Wonderful news': Bornean orangutan born at UK zoo for first time in 20 years
A zoo in the U.K. is celebrating the birth of a Bornean orangutan – the zoo's first birth of the critically-endangered animal in 20 years.
The male Bornean orangutan, who was born earlier this month at Blackpool Zoo in England, will make his public debut this weekend after spending the last two weeks bonding with his mother.
Animal advocacy groups say the species is dwindling, which is why the zoo said it has undertaken breeding efforts to ensure its survival.
Through its membership in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), the zoo last year introduced a 13-year-old male Bornean orangutan named Kawan to the species' enclosure, along with two other females. Kawan, who arrived from Apenheul Zoo in the Netherlands, fathered the new ape baby with Jingga, a 13-year-old female who came to Blackpool in 2017 from her birthplace in Barcelona.
The new baby has not yet been named.
'Very special baby'
Zoo officials hope the birth ushers in the start of a new generation of Bornean orangutans being born at the zoo.
"The arrival of this very special baby is wonderful news, not just for us here at Blackpool Zoo, but for the species too," said Blackpool Zoo Director Darren Webster in a statement. "We have been working hard to create a breeding group to help safeguard the future of this magnificent species."
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Bornean orangutans are critically endangered
The Bornean orangutan was classified as critically endangered in July 2016 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meaning the species faces an "extremely high" risk of extinction in the wild.
The World Wildlife Fund estimates that Bornean orangutan populations have declined by more than 50% over the past 60 years as the species' habitats have been decimated by logging and hunting. Now, an estimated 104,700 Bornean orangutans remain in the wild, where they largely populate lowland rainforests and mountain forests.
Visitors can see the orangutan soon
The Blackpool Zoo's new Bornean orangutan was born on June 14. Since then, the orangutan enclosure has been closed to the public to allow him and his first-time mother to bond.
The attraction will reopen Saturday to visitors.
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Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for Paste BN. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @EricLagatta.