They’re striking in color and in genetics too, since the orangutan is one of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.

And yet, thanks to a range of horrifying factors including deforestation and logging, forest fires and illegal hunting, palm oil growth and poaching, the Bornean orangutan is now critically endangered.

Sadly, it’s all the fault of humans and their selfish activities – we’re effectively killing our species’ cousins.

Nowadays, there’s only around 1,500 Bornean orangutans left in the wild.

But along with the bad news comes a little good, and in a leap forward for orangutan conservation, a rare baby orangutan has been born in captivity, under the watchful eyes of experts at Chester Zoo in the UK.

Born to an orangutan knwon as Leia, the newborn baby was born naturally on October 7th, in a monumental moment for Leia’s growing family and global conservation efforts too.

And the baby has had a peaceful introduction to life at the zoo, as the Assistant Team Manager of Primates, Chris Yarwood, explained in a proud Chester Zoo statement:

“Leia is a wonderful mum. She’s extremely attentive and has spent the first few days holding her baby close and feeding regularly. Any birth of a Bornean orangutan is incredibly special given how threatened the species is.”

While this new baby is great news for Leia, the zoo, and the conservation of the species, the importance of one birth really signals the dire situation that Bornean orangutans are in.

Of course, the best thing that can be done for these incredible creatures is significant rainforest restoration, and the clamp-down on illegal poaching.

But there is one thing that the everyday consumer can do to help our red-haired friends, as Chester Zoo’s Policy Lead on Deforestation-free Commodities, Cat Barton, continued:

“We’re championing sustainable palm oil – one of the simplest and most powerful ways people can help protect rainforests and wildlife.”

By making this conscious choice, you can help the critically endangered Bornean orangutan and help prevent its demise.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?