Newborn monkey stuns zoo staff with bright orange fur

By Dean Murray

An endangered monkey has been born at a UK zoo, and it's bright orange.

Staff at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire are celebrating the arrival of the François’ langur baby.

A spokesperson said: "In contrast to the adults' monochromatic coats, infant François’ langurs are born with shocking orange hair, an evolutionary quirk thought to allow parents to easily spot their youngsters when they’re being cared for by other members of the troop."

Born to a 10-year-old mom Nguyen and 9-year-old dad, Wang, on the morning of Sunday, February 1, the baby boy is part of the international conservation breeding program for François’ langurs, which aims to boost the numbers of species that are threatened in the wild.

Whipsnade Zoo’s section manager of primates, Amanda Robinson, said the team was first alerted to the baby's arrival by an excited visitor who saw the mother carrying the freshly born baby in her arms.

Amanda says: "We’re delighted to have a baby François’ langur in our troop at Whipsnade. We knew Nguyen was expecting, but when we completed our morning rounds on Sunday, she hadn't given birth yet. Only an hour later, when a visitor began asking us questions about an ‘orange monkey,’ we knew that could only mean one thing!

“Sadly, it’s estimated that only 2,000 of these primates remain in the wild, so every birth is a ray of hope for the species.”

Native to China and northern Vietnam, the species faces threats from illegal hunting for their meat and traditional medicinal purposes, so caring for a back-up population in zoos is vital to protecting their future.

Amanda adds: "Over time, the newborn’s hair will fade to black, so I’d definitely recommend coming to see him in his home at Monkey Forest whilst he's still tangerine!"