A bonobo has been born at Planckendael Zoo, a critical step for conserving this endangered primate species, the zoo announced on Monday.
The newborn is a female, and the public will soon be invited to choose her name.
Planckendael Zoo manages the international studbook for bonobos and coordinates the European breeding programme for the species.
With this latest birth, the zoo now hosts one of the largest bonobo populations in Europe, totalling 23 individuals.
In addition to its work in Europe, the zoo co-manages a 3,600-square-kilometre wildlife reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bonobos naturally inhabit the equatorial forests of the DRC, south of the Congo River. Their survival is increasingly threatened by deforestation and other human activities.
