Critically endangered Sumatran orangutan born at Chester Zoo

The baby boy was delivered by 32-year-old mum Subis at around 4.30pm on Thursday, November 14 following a nine month pregnancy.

Conservationists are now looking to find a suitable name for the adorable brown-eyed youngster who has been clinging tightly to his mum since birth.

Mike Jordan, director of animal and plant collections at Chester Zoo, said: “The arrival of a new baby in the family of Sumatran orangutans is always cause for celebration. Subis is a great mum and she is being really attentive to her new born.

"The pair are inseparable as they get to know one another.

“The new arrival is especially important to the international breeding programme, which is providing a real lifeline for the species, given that Sumatran orangutans are so highly threatened.

"This new baby helps us to further highlight the mass-scale rainforest destruction that is occurring on the other side of the planet and raise some much needed awareness of the plight of their cousins in the wild.”

The new arrival is yet another success story for the acclaimed international breeding programme for the highly threatened species.

Sumatran orangutans are one of the world's most endangered great apes with fewer than 14,000 surviving in the wild.

They are threatened by hunting and habitat loss because of illegal logging and the palm oil industry.

Mike added: “People can help these wonderful, charismatic animals while shopping in supermarkets, simply by, making sure they’re buying only products containing certified sustainable palm oil.

"It sounds like an incredibly small action, but this will create a snowball effect and send a message to suppliers that we demand change.

“Demanding sustainable palm oil could halt the destruction of rainforests across Sumatra and Borneo and help protect the remaining orangutans – together we can all help prevent their extinction.”