Conservation charity, Twycross Zoo, is celebrating a heart-warming milestone with the arrival of its first baby of 2026 – an endangered pileated gibbon, born late afternoon on Tuesday 3 February 2026.
The newborn is the latest addition to the zoo’s primate family, born to experienced parents Valentina and Helmut, a successful breeding pair.
Both mum and baby are doing well, with the infant clinging tightly to Valentina as the pair can now be seen by visitors in the zoo’s Gibbon Forest. The sex of the baby is not yet known and will only be confirmed once keepers can clearly see, which may take several weeks or even months. While undeniably adorable, this birth is far more than a feel-good moment.
Pileated gibbons are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with wild populations under severe threat from habitat loss and fragmentation across Southeast Asia.
Crucially, this newborn represents some of the most important genetics in the European population, a vitally important safeguard for their wild counterparts. Twycross Zoo coordinates the EEP (EAZA Ex-situ Programme) for pileated gibbons, meaning its expert team is responsible for planning and managing breeding recommendations across European zoos to ensure a healthy, genetically diverse population, safeguarding the species for the future.
This baby’s genes are not over-represented, making the birth a significant success story for the programme and a vital step in protecting the species long-term.
Work like this is part of Twycross Zoo’s wider conservation role – and will have a dedicated home in the Global Conservation Centre, a £25million hub designed to enhance the charity’s conservation mission and impact, now under construction and planned to open in 2027.
Matt Ford, Primate Curator at Twycross Zoo and EEP Coordinator for pileated gibbons, said: “This is a hugely important birth, not just for Twycross Zoo but for the entire European pileated gibbon population. Every baby born as part of the EEP is carefully planned, and this infant carries genetics that are incredibly valuable for the long-term future of the species.
“Seeing Valentina caring so confidently for her baby is fantastic, and it’s a real privilege for visitors to be able to witness such an important conservation success first-hand.” The baby and its mother can currently be seen in the Twycross Zoo’s ‘Gibbon Forest’, giving visitors a rare opportunity to observe one of the world’s most threatened primates during its earliest days.”
For more information, and to book visits to Twycross Zoo visit www.twycrosszoo.org
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