For the first time in 20 years, a Bornean orangutan was born at Blackpool Zoo.
The "very special" arrival is a part of an effort to preserve the endangered species through breeding.
The birth of the male, according to Blackpool Zoo director Darren Webster, is "wonderful news" for the zoo and the critically endangered primates.
In order to protect the future of the species, he said breeding programs were "absolutely vital.".
The loss of habitat is expected to cause an 86 percent decline in Bornean orangutan population between 1950 and 2025.
The species now faces an "extremely high" risk of extinction in the wild after being designated as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The last child to be born here was Summer, one of our resident females, and we have been working hard to establish a breeding group to help safeguard the future of this magnificent species, Mr. Webster said.
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 hometown of Barcelona in 2017.
In 2022, she and Cherie and Summer, who were both born in Blackpool, moved to Apenheul Zoo in the Netherlands with the baby's father, Kawan, who is also 13 years old.
In the wee hours of June 14, Jingga gave birth.
The five individuals reside in the $1 million Orangutan Outlook facility at Blackpool Zoo, which was created especially for the animals.
In order to give the mother and son time to get to know one another, the orangutan house has been closed to the public. On July 1, visitors will be allowed back in.
The zoo is hoping the new addition "is the start of a new generation of beautiful Bornean orangutans here at Blackpool Zoo," according to Mr. Webster.
