Baby orangutan born at Blackpool Zoo shown off by proud mother
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA baby orangutan born at Blackpool Zoo has been shown off to the park's visitors by its proud mother for the first time. The five-week-old baby was held up by his mother, Jingga, to delighted zoo guests.
The baby, who is yet to be named, is the first orangutan to be born in captivity in 20 years. It is hoped that the baby will help kickstart a new generation of the endangered animals.
Darren Webster, Blackpool Zoo's director, said: “The arrival of this very special baby is wonderful news, not just for us here at Blackpool Zoo, but for the species too.” He added: "The Bornean orangutan was classified as critically endangered in July 2016 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features "This means that this species now faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
This makes breeding programmes such as the EEP absolutely vital, and we are hoping that this is the start of a new generation of beautiful Bornean orangutans here at Blackpool Zoo.” Jingga, 13, held her baby up to the viewing windows at the zoo, with her arms outstretched and her head bowed.
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