A bright orange baby has been born at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire – an endangered François’ langur – offering renewed hope for the long-term survival of the species.
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 10-year-old mum Nguyen (pronounced ‘Win’) and nine-year-old dad Wang on the morning of Sunday 1 February, the baby boy is part of the international conservation breeding programme 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 were first alerted to the fuzzy fireball’s arrival by an excited visitor, who saw mum carrying the freshly-born baby in her arms.
She said: “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 2000 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.
Ms Robinson continued: “Nguyen is an experienced mum, having given birth to male Bao in 2024, and we’ve seen her developing a really strong bond with her new baby already by keeping them close and encouraging them to suckle.”
François’ langurs live in matriarchal groups – meaning females lead the troop – and engage in allomothering and allosuckling, where all of the female troop members lend a hand in caring for the infants. This means their troops have really deep social bonds and it allows older siblings to learn important social skills.
Ms Robinson explained: “The older boys, Bao, Jinfo and Yentu, aren’t as interested in helping out as fellow mum Lulu, but they’re very excited to have a youngster in the group, and they’ll be playing together in no time.”
ZSL, the conservation charity behind Whipsnade Zoo, works across the world to tackle the illegal wildlife trade, including in Thailand – considered to be the largest transport point for the illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia. Alongside monitoring activities along trade routes, ZSL experts work with government authorities to increase environmental awareness and encourage the adoption of zero-tolerance to illegal wildlife trade practices across the country.
“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!” said Ms Robinson.
This February half-term, families can enjoy 30 per cent off a fantastic day out at Whipsnade Zoo with their loved ones, including visiting the growing langur family, by booking online with the code LOVE30. Every ticket supports the work of international conservation charity ZSL. Book tickets online: Whipsnade Zoo | A ZSL conservation zoo
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