Zoo’s joy at the birth of an endangered orangutan

Zookeepers are “delighted” by the birth of a critically endangered orangutan at Blackpool Zoo.

On April 28, Summer the Bornean orangutan gave birth to a male for the first time.

It was the second birth in the last 12 months, “after more than 20 years of waiting,” said zoo director Darren Webster.

In July 2016, the primates were classified as critically endangered, meaning the species is at an “extremely high” risk of extinction in the wild.

Both the mother and the baby, who has yet to be named, are doing well and living happily alongside fellow first-time mother Jinggi and her son Jarang, the zoo said.

The father of both cubs is Kawan, who came to Blackpool Zoo in 2022 from Apenheul Zoo in the Netherlands as part of the European Threatened Species Programme.

Webster said: “Kawan’s arrival marked a fresh start after our previous male, Ramon, moved to a group in Germany that was more suitable for him to breed.

“Ramon has settled well into his new family and has now become a father himself, so we are delighted that the move has been a huge success for both collections.

“Summer was born at Blackpool Zoo in 2002 and I have watched her develop and flourish over the last 22 years.

“Seeing her become a mother is such an honor and a testament to the incredible work and experience of our team of primates.”

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