Two critically endangered Sumatran Orangutan brothers arrive at Port Lympne

  • Video credit: Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve

Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve have welcomed two critically endangered Sumatran orangutans.

Brothers, Hadjah, 16 and Malou, 11, have travelled from Switzerland and are settling into their new enclosure at the reserve, which is home to over 900 rare and endangered animals.

Hadjah and Malou have recently come out of quarantine due to travelling from overseas.

Older brother Hadjah with his brother Malou Credit: Port Lympne Reserve

There are currently 144 Sumatran orangutans in European zoos across 29 holders, with 15 living in the UK.

Port Lympne is one of three institutes to house this species of orangutan.

The zoos ultimate goal for Hadjah and Malou is to eventually rewild them, if possible.

Orangutans are currently classified as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Sumatran orangutans are one of the rarest subspecies with around 14,000 left in the wild, making them one of the world’s top 25 most endangered primates.

The biggest threat to their survival is habitat loss caused by the expansion of palm oil and acacia plantations.

Young orangutans are still highly valued as pets, although it’s illegal to capture or keep them, orangutans’ mothers are invariably killed to obtain their infants.

Simon Jeffery, Animal Director at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve, says: "We are so happy to offer Hadjah and Malou the sanctuary they deserve within our park and proud to be part of the conservation of this incredible species and hope visitors to the park will enjoy them as much as we enjoy caring for them."

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