WORLD’S RAREST CHIMP BORN IN UK ZOO

Chester Zoo in the UK has welcomed the critically endangered Western chimpanzee.

The global population of the species is under huge threat in the wild due to hunting for the illegal bush meat trade, diseases spread by humans and extensive habitat loss and forest destruction across West Africa, according to the BBC.

The male chimp is in good health and has managed to bond well with his mom and the other chimpanzees residing at the zoo.

Chester Zoo is known for naming their chimpanzees after rock stars and the staff have decided to keep up with the tradition. Although they haven’t yet decided on a name for the little baby boy yet, he will be joining Dylan (Bob), Alice (Cooper) and Annie (Lennox) soon.

Chester Zoo said just 18,000 Western chimpanzees remain across Africa and it is the first subspecies of chimpanzees to ever be declared critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

According to Mike Jordan, animal and plant director at the zoo, the birth of the baby chimp is great news for its species.

“In the last 25 years alone the world has lost 80% of its Western chimpanzee population, so the arrival of a healthy baby here at Chester offers us real hope that we can help turn things around for this species.”

Image credit: People