Mum And Daughter’s Adorable Zoo Cuddle

This is the adorable moment when a mother orangutan shows her love for her baby girl as they cuddle up together in their enclosure.

The baby was born a month ago in Schoenbrunn Zoo, Vienna, Austria, but keepers on 11th July announced that the mum had given birth to a girl.

New video footage of the pair shows the sleepy youngster snuggling up to her mother as they cuddle in their enclosure.

Mum and daughter are then seen holding hands as the pair quietly sit together.

Zoo district manager Sandra Keiblinger said in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “This means that the little one can stay with us in the zoo for a long time.

“In the wild, too, female offspring usually live in the vicinity of their mother, even after they have been weaned.

“Male orangutans, on the other hand, move further away, ideally looking for their own territory.

Image shows the new Bornean orangutan baby girl holding onto her mum at the Vienna Zoo, Austria, undated photo. The species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. (Daniel Zupanc/Newsflash)

“They would therefore be placed with other zoological gardens as part of the European Conservation Breeding Programme.”

The baby’s father was veteran orangutan Vladimir who was put down five months ago aged 49 after his health failed.

He gained fame when one of his mates Nonja became an international painter – with works selling for GBP 5,000 a time and even had her own Facebook page.

The zoo explained how orangutan mums take care of their offspring without the help of their male partners, forming a close bond with them.

During the process they reportedly teach them survival skills like climbing, searching for food and social interaction.

Head of the zoo department Folko Balfanz said: “Genetically, our young orang female is an important contribution to the European Conservation Breeding Scheme.

Image shows the new Bornean orangutan baby girl holding onto her mum at the Vienna Zoo, Austria, undated photo. The species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. (Daniel Zupanc/Newsflash)

“In this way we can contribute to building a reserve population outside the habitat.

“With our new females and female offspring, we have laid an important foundation for a successful breeding group.”

The Schoenbrunn Zoo supports the HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project for Bornean orangutan in their natural habitat.

Zoo officials said: “As part of the project, suitable corridors between intact forest areas are being explored and reforested to enable wild animals to migrate.

“The efforts not only benefit the orangutans, but also proboscis monkeys, Mueller’s gibbons, Borneo pygmy elephants, Sunda clouded leopards and sun bears, and promote biodiversity.”

Orangutans are listed as ‘critically endangered’ on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.

Reports list deforestation, palm oil plantations and hunting pose as the most serious threats to the Bornean orangutan’s status.

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