CNN
—
Really rare – and so cute.
Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England, has welcomed the birth of a Western chimpanzee, the most endangered chimpanzee subspecies.
The zoo announced the birth of a baby boy in a news release Thursday. The young child born to mother ZeeZee will join the herd of 22 Western chimpanzees at the British zoo.
Andrew Lenihan, group manager at the zoo’s primate division, said: ‘We are extremely proud to see such a precious newborn baby among the chimpanzees. “Mother ZeeZee and her newcomer immediately bonded and she did a great job of cuddling and taking good care of him.”
Lenihan said the baby was quickly accepted by his extended family.
Lenihan continued: “Giving birth always creates a lot of excitement in the group, and raising a child soon becomes a real family affair. “You will often see a newborn being passed between other females who want to lend a helping hand and give ZeeZee the well-deserved break, and that’s exactly what her daughter, Stevie, is doing with her. his new brother. It seems like she really likes him, it’s great to see that.”
In addition, the tiny baby is an essential asset to a critically endangered population.
Lenihan added: “He may not know it, but ZeeZee’s newborn is a small but important boost to Western chimpanzee populations globally, at a time when the species is most needed. this is under serious threat”.
Following a decades-old tradition, Chester Zoo babies will be named after a famous rock star, according to a press release.
Western chimpanzees are the only chimpanzee subspecies classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as “critically endangered”, indicating that they face “extremely high risk of extinction in the wild”. “. The species is extinct in Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo, but still lives in parts of West Africa, with the largest remaining population in Guinea.
This subspecies has faced an 80% population decline over the past 25 years, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The number of apes has plummeted due to habitat destruction, poaching and disease.
