Baby joy for rescued orang-utan

Hsiao-Quai gave birth on Tuesday

An orang-utan saved from an amusement park in Taiwan has given birth at a Dorset ape rescue centre.

Mother Hsiao-Quai, 11, gave birth on Tuesday at Monkey World in Wool.

Keepers were worried if she would know how to take care of the baby, as she was orphaned at a young age when her parents were shot by poachers.

But the centre's owner Alison Cronin said: "She has been attentive from the moment he was born. She cleaned him up and has cuddled him and kept him warm."

We are just so pleased about something positive coming out of all this tragedy Alison Cronin

The apes are one of the world's most endangered species, with biologists estimating they could become extinct in the wild within the next 20 years.

The baby's father, 16-year-old Tuan, was also rescued from Taiwan.

He was found wandering the streets after he became too big for his owners to care for, Mrs Cronin said.

She said he acted strangely on the day his son was born.

"I don't know how he knew, but he knew something was going on and on that day he stayed glued to that window and wouldn't move."

Monkey World has 11 orang-utans at the centre and 165 monkeys and apes in total.

Mrs Cronin added: "We are just so pleased about something positive coming out of all this tragedy."