Hamilton Zoo is celebrating a new addition to its chimpanzee troop - but the public can't inspect the new arrival yet.
Sanda and her baby. Photo: Supplied / Hamilton City Council
Sanda the chimp has given birth, just a day after a new outdoor enclosure opened. The zoo now has seven chimps.
Zoo director Dr Baird Fleming said it is a positive sign that Sanda felt happy and safe enough in her new surroundings to deliver her baby.
He said the troop will be given time to get used to their new space and to bond with the baby before zoo visitors can inspect the new enclosure and see the latest addition.
The chimps have not been on public display since February while their outdoor enclosure was upgraded.
Curator of exotics Catherine Nichols said the troop was giving Sanda lots of space to bond with her new baby and had "jumped in" to keep big sister Chiku busy.
"Chiku is very inquisitive and has been hanging around Mum on and off to get her attention, but big sister is giving her space to nurse," Nichols said.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists chimpanzees as endangered on their Red List of Threatened Species.
Hamilton Zoo supports the Jane Goodall Foundation and its work with chimpanzees.
The foundation helps to protect chimpanzees and conserve their habitat while also supporting the next generation of conservation leaders.