Birth of rare chimpanzee at Chester Zoo gives ‘hope’ to critically endangered species

Video of the new arrival to the delight of keepers

The world's rarest chimpanzee has been born at Chester Zoo.

New mum ZeeZee - a critically endangered Western chimpanzee - safely delivered a tiny male baby chimp on 9 December 2022 after an eight month pregnancy.

Keepers say he is in good health and has spent the first few weeks bonding with his mum and the rest of the 22-strong troop.

In a longstanding tradition among conservationists, the youngster will be named after a rockstar or famous pop icon to help boost the profile of the highly threatened species. 

The tiny male chimp is doing well and bonding with his mother Credit: Chester Zoo

Just 18,000 Western chimpanzees remain across Africa and it is the first subspecies of chimpanzee to ever be declared critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Primatologists say this birth gives further ‘hope’ to efforts to ensure the long-term survival of the species.

Key Chimpanzee facts:

  • Young chimps have a white tuft of hair on their rear which they lose after puberty, which is a signal to other chimps to be gentle with them

  • Chimpanzees are omnivores, eating a varied diet consisting of fruit and plants, as well as insects and meat

  • They are among the most intelligent animals on the planet and, like humans, have learnt how to use tools to help them in various tasks, like using sticks to dig out termites for food

  • Chimpanzees share 98% of their genetic makeup with humans

Andrew Lenihan, Team Manager at Chester Zoo, said: “We’re incredibly proud to see a precious new baby in the chimpanzee troop.

"Mum ZeeZee and her new arrival instantly bonded and she’s doing a great job of cradling him closely and caring for him.“A birth always creates a lot of excitement in the group and raising a youngster soon becomes a real extended family affair

"You’ll often see the new baby being passed between other females who want to lend a helping hand and give ZeeZee some well-deserved rest.

"That’s exactly what her daughter, Stevie (Nicks), is doing with her new brother. It looks as though she’s taken a real shine to him, which is great to see."

Stevie the new arrival's older sister is helping to care of him Credit: Chester Zoo

"We’ve previously welcomed Dylan (Bob), Alice (Cooper) and Annie (Lennox) – the new arrival has yet to be named publically.“He may not know it, but ZeeZee’s new baby is a small but vital boost to the global population of Western chimpanzees, at a time when it’s most needed for this critically endangered species.”

The apes are under huge threat in the wild as a result of hunting for the illegal bush-meat trade, diseases spread by humans and extensive habitat loss and forest destruction across West Africa.Mike Jordan, Animal & Plant Director at the zoo, added: “In the last 25 years alone the world has lost 80% of its Western chimpanzee population.

"The UN estimates that one million species could be wiped out in our lifetime.

"Our teams have worked on the ground in Uganda, Nigeria and Gabon to help protect wild chimpanzee populations and their forest homes.

"This work, paired with the endangered species breeding programme in conservation zoos, will help play a key role in protecting this species from being lost forever.”

Chimp Stevie (Nicks), gives mum Zee Zee a helping hand with her new baby boy Credit: Chester Zoo

Small populations of the Western chimpanzee are still found ranging from Senegal to Ghana in West Africa – but have sadly become extinct in Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo.

Chester Zoo says it is actively involved in the conservation of some of the world’s rarest chimpanzees in Africa and supported efforts to protect the last stronghold of the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee, in Gashaka Gumti National park in Nigeria, for more than 20 years.