NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A critically-endangered Bornean orangutan was born at the Virginia Zoo late last month, the zoo announced Wednesday.

The orangutan was born around 5:45 a.m. June 29 to parents Dara, 24, and Solaris, 21, which the zoo said marks a big milestone.

“The birth represents a major conservation success for the Virginia Zoo, as this baby is only the second-ever orangutan to be born at the zoo,” it said, “and for the species as a whole, which faces rapid habitat destruction and population loss in the wild.”

The World Wildlife Federation says that Bornean orangutan populations have declined by more than 50% in the past 60 years, and that the species’ habitat has been cut by at least 55% in the past 20 years. In the wild, orangutans live only in the rainforests of the Southeast Asian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, and spend almost all of their lives in trees — swinging in treetops and building nests to sleep in.

Typically, Bornean orangutans give birth to a single offspring every seven to nine years and may only have four to five babies in their lifetime, which the zoo said makes each birth critical to their survival.

Dara and the baby’s father, Solaris are a recommended breeding pair by the Orangutan Species Survival Plan, which coordinates population management for the species with cooperation of accredited and certified related facilities and sustainability partners of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The new Bornean orangutan is their second offspring together — the pair lost their firstborn in 2018 to a sudden illness.

Zookeepers in the Asia: Trail of the Tiger section of the zoo said that the mother and baby orangutan are doing well and are bonding.

The zoo’s veterinary staff and its zookeepers are continuing to monitor the pair behind the scenes for now, while Solaris will be in the outdoor exhibit area to give mom and baby the space to recover and bond.

“Our care team is over the moon with excitement about the new addition to our orangutan family,” said Jill Strother, assistant curator of the Virginia Zoo’s Asia section in a statement. “All our hard work in preparing Dara for the birth with ultrasound and maternal behavior training has been so rewarding. We can’t wait to see this little one flourish.”

The zoo said it will make an announcement soon on when the whole Bornean orangutan family will be on exhibit together.

“The Virginia Zoo has been committed to the conservation and education of orangutans for many years, and we are thrilled to reach a new conservation milestone with this birth,” Executive Director of the Zoo, Greg Bockheim, said in a statement. “We feel confident this baby will become a fantastic ambassador for its species, inspiring awe and a sense of care in many Zoo visitors, which is our ultimate goal.”