A rare Bornean orangutan has just been born at Chester Zoo, and it’s a seriously important moment for the critically-endangered species.
Primate conservationists at the UK’s biggest charity zoo are celebrating the “precious” new arrival – who was born to doting parents, Sarikei and Willie, last week – and have also shared the first images and videos of the adorable new baby.
The birth is a “positive step in the right direction” for the protection of the highly-threatened species.
The world’s authority on the state of nature, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), sadly lists Bornean orangutans as critically-endangered in the wild, and ranks them as one of the species which requires the highest conservation priority in the world.
This is because rampant habitat destruction has seen the lush rainforests of Borneo cleared for agriculture, logging, and unsustainable oil palm plantations, and the massive loss of this habitat, coupled with illegal hunting, and conflict with farmers when orangutans enter areas where their forest homes once stood, means the animals have been to the very edge of existence.
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But luckily, Chester Zoo‘s newborn orangutan will join a European-wide conservation breeding programme.
The aim of the programme is the boost the population of the rare primate in conservation zoos.
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A critically-endangered Bornean orangutan has been born at Chester Zoo / Credit: Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has been working with its conservation partners, HUTAN, in protecting wild orangutans in Borneo for more than 20 years now.
On top of this, experts have been carrying out research in the Kinabatangan – which is home to one of the largest populations of orangutans in the Sabah region of the island – to gain a better understanding of how orangutans are adapting to an increase in oil palm plantations, and the new landscapes which they have created.
A team of zoo primatologists has also helped to create special ‘orangutan bridges’ on the island – which are designed to “connect pockets of fragmented forest”, and aid orangutans in “moving safely between different areas”, the Zoo says.
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Conservationists have called the birth a “positive step in the right direction” / Credit: Chester Zoo
“The birth of an animal that’s so rare is always something to celebrate,” admits Mark Brayshaw, who is the Head of Mammals at Chester Zoo.
“Seeing the new baby in the arms of mum Sarikei is incredibly special, because she’s a great mum and has spent the first few days cradling her baby closely, feeding it regularly, and building close bonds, [which are] all the signs are great so far.
“With the newborn just a few days old, we’ve not yet managed to clearly identify if it’s male or female [but] what’s most important is that there’s another healthy Bornean orangutan on the planet.
“To have a new addition within the international conservation breeding programme that’s working to safeguard the species’ future is a hugely positive step in the right direction.”
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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Olivia Dean at Albert Hall – star stuns in every way in Manchester
Abbie Bartlett
24-year-old neo soul singer Olivia Dean was in Manchester last night performing her Mercury prize-nominated album effortlessly with a voice and style made for the stage.
Fans of the star have watched her go from strength to strength over the past year, from being nominated for three Brits, performing at Coachella and now preparing for this year’s Glastonbury festival.
As someone who frequents gigs like they’re going out of fashion, it’s a bold statement but I think this may be one of the best I’ve ever experienced, and Olivia Dean can only be described being a star.
Before we dive into the performance, it’s only fair to take a minute to shoutout what an incredible venue for music the Albert Hall is. The former Methodist hall projects and echos acoustics perfectly and the raised stage and balcony area mean everyone in the building has a good view.
It’s no surprise that given her recent success the show at the Albert Hall was a complete sell-out, appearing on stage in a stunning floor-length silk dress the sea of fans filled the venue with admiring applause.
Olivia looked stunning in a floor length dress.The crowd was mesmorised.
With a seven-piece band behind her, the star jumped straight into an atmospheric UFO before a cheery ‘How are we Manchester?’ and raising a can of Red Stripe. She quickly follows with Ok Love You Bye – a track that gets the whole crowd singing along and contemplating their past love decisions (maybe that last bit was just me).
The singer seamlessly glided through her set with ease, tambourine in hand, wowing fans with gorgeous melodies and relatable lyrics.
Gracefully sitting at the piano the room fell to silence as we heard Everybody’s Crazy and ICould Be a Florist, I’d predict I wasn’t the only person crying at this point.
As the evening rolled on and the songs kept coming the genuine talent Olivia has, not just as a singer but as a lyricist, had the crowd hooked on her every word. Of course she ends with Dive, the standout track from the album that perfectly depicts how it feels to fall in love.
Olivia Dean 2024 setlist
UFO
Ok Love You Bye
Echo
Danger
Cross My Mind
Be My Own Boyfriend
What Am I Gonna Do on Sundays?
No Man
Messy
Touching Toes
Everybody’s Crazy
I Could Be a Florist
Ladies Room
Reason to Stay
The Hardest Part
Carmen
Saying her goodbyes with a ‘I’ve had such a lovely evening’ and telling the crowd how happy she is to be back home in the UK after recent shows in America.
Experiencing Olivia Dean at Albert Hall felt genuinely special, the star is destined for a life time of deserved fame but her voice was made to be experiences in an intimate venue. The opportunity to enjoy her talent in such a perfect venue was nothing short of a divine evening.
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2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity
Danny Jones
Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.
This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.
As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.
Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.
The 2024 adidas Manchester Marathon was a spectacular day for the city and its economy.
Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie.
Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.
Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.
The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.
Together you have raised over £3.7 million for charitable causes, adding even more meaning to those 26.2 miles 💕 Well done and thank you to all those who fundraised and donated! 🌟Tag us in those charity top pictures from last weekend 😍😍#ManchesterMarathonpic.twitter.com/5gsi6NtFzB
This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.
This was a 20% increaseon 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.
With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons.
Emily Sergeant -
8th September 2023 
