Diergaarde Blijdorp welcomes an orange baby

Last week, a François’ langur was born at Diergaarde Blijdorp. The arrival of a new male in November has already paid off. Last Thursday, one of the females gave birth to a baby—a very welcome addition. Diergaarde Blijdorp has a long history with François’ langurs, and the Rotterdam zoo is the only zoo in the Netherlands where this critically endangered Chinese primate species can be seen. Thanks to a carefully managed population program, zoos around the world are doing everything they can to prevent the species from going extinct.

Reserve population
François’ langurs are native to the tropical rainforests of southeastern China and Vietnam. Due to habitat loss and hunting, the population of these roughly 60-centimeter-long monkeys continues to decline. That’s why Diergaarde Blijdorp is especially pleased with the birth of the little one. The last François’ langur born at the Rotterdam zoo was back in 2019.

Strikingly orange
Fun fact: when François’ langurs are born, they are bright orange. A striking contrast among the black-coated adults. This makes it easier for the adults to spot the infant in case of danger. With another pregnant female in the group, there may soon be another ginger baby to admire in Rotterdam. Incidentally, the baby born yesterday is the grandchild of Nanpi, who at 28 years old is the oldest François’ langur at Diergaarde Blijdorp.