Blackpool Zoo has got itself another new resident, and this one comes in the form of a beautiful baby orangutan.
Summer has become a mother for the first time ever.
The proud mother – who is one of five critically-endangered Bornean orangutans living at the Lancashire-based zoo in its state-of-the-art £1 million ‘Orangutan Outlook’ facility – gave birth to a “healthy” baby boy during the night on Sunday 28 April.
Carers at Blackpool Zoo say both Summer and her new baby, who is yet to be named, are “doing really well”.
They are currently “living happily” alongside another first-time mum, Jingga, and her son Jarang.
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One of Blackpool Zoo’s critically-endangered orangutans has welcomed her first ‘healthy’ baby / Credit: Allison Allen (via Blackpool Zoo)
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Bornean orangutan and what makes the species – and this birth – so special, they were classified as ‘critically endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in July 2016, and this sadly means that the species now faces an “extremely high” risk of extinction in the wild.
The father of both Jarang and Summer’s new baby is called Kawan, and he came to Blackpool Zoo in 2022 from Apenheul Zoo over in the Netherlands as part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).
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Blackpool Zoo’s Director, Darren Webster, says the zoo is “delighted” to be welcoming “a new generation” of Bornean orangutans.
Speaking on the two special recent births for the zoo, Darren commented: “After more than 20 years of waiting, we are delighted to have had two Bornean orangutans born in Blackpool in the past 12 months. Summer was born here at Blackpool Zoo in 2002, and I’ve watched her grow and flourish over the last 22 years, so to see her become a mother is a huge honour.
“It’s testament to the incredible work and experience of our primate team.”
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Darren also says these two births prove why breeding programmes, such as the EEP, are “absolutely vital” to keeping species thriving.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Emily Sergeant -
12th June 2024 
