The orangutan is not a monkey, but a great ape, like the chimpanzee and gorilla and, like them, lacks a tail and has long arms.
Listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, Bornean orangutans, who share approximately 97% of their DNA with humans, are one of the most threatened animal species in the world. This is due to the loss of habitat in their native Indonesia for the benefit of palm oil plantations, illegal logging and illegal hunting.
Sprout, a female Bornean orangutan of 11 years old, gave birth over the weekend at the Dudley Zoo and Castle. Sprout’s mum, Jazz, aged 30, who only gave birth herself a month ago, came to her daughter’s aid and has stepped in to take over the care of her first grandbaby.
The two birth means the zoo has welcomed two Bornean orangutans, a species named as critically endangered, within four weeks.
Dad to both babies is Djimat, who arrived at the zoo nine months-ago as part of a carefully managed European Endangered Species Programme.