Chester Zoo announce the birth of a critically endangered Western chimpanzee

Chester Zoo have confirmed they’ve welcomed the birth of a Western chimpanzee, a critically endangered subspecies of the chimpanzee family.

As few as just 18,000 Western chimpanzees remain across Africa, and its the first subspecies of chimpanzee to ever be declared critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Both mother ZeeZee and the new baby boy are said to be in good health, and have spent the last few weeks bonding along with the rest of the 22-strong troop.

As is usual tradition at the zoo, the baby chimpanzee will be named after a famous musician in a bid to raise awareness around the species. Previous names have included Dylan (Bob), Alice (Cooper) and Annie (Lennox).

Andrew Lenihan, Team Manager of the Primates section at Chester Zoo, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see a precious new baby in the chimpanzee troop. Mum ZeeZee and her new arrival instantly bonded and she’s been doing a great job of cradling him closely and caring for him.

“A birth always creates a lot of excitement in the group and raising a youngster soon becomes a real extended family affair. You’ll often see the new baby being passed between other females who want to lend a helping hand and give ZeeZee some well-deserved rest, and that’s exactly what her daughter, Stevie, is doing with her new brother. It looks as though she’s taken a real shine to him, which is great to see.

“He may not know it, but ZeeZee’s new baby is a small but vital boost to the global population of Western chimpanzees, at a time when it’s most needed for this critically endangered species.”

Head over to the Chester Zoo website to keep up to date with the baby’s progress.

Image credit: Chester Zoo