Zoo celebrates second chimpanzee birth in a year

Zookeepers have shared their excitement after the birth of an endangered chimpanzee in Essex.

The primate was born at Colchester Zoo on Tuesday.

"We are especially excited as this is our second chimpanzee birth of the year," the zoo said, referring to another delivery in January.

Visitors have been asked to be quiet around their enclosure "to allow our new family time and space to settle".

Chimpanzees are listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The new arrival's name and sex are yet to be confirmed.

Before January, a chimpanzee had not been born at Colchester Zoo for 17 years.

"Our animal care team are keeping a close eye on mum, dad, and their new arrival, as they spend these precious early days bonding together," a zoo spokesman said.

"They are pleased to report that mum, baby and dad Napoleon are all doing really well."

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