A baby Francois langur was welcomed at the San Diego Zoo in California.

Footage shows the juvenile primate, the first to arrive at the zoo in five years, tucked between its mother's arms inside their enclosure in San Diego.

The zoo's Wildlife Care team said the baby langur was born on April 12 morning from its 11-year-old mum Meili.

Meili had been under pregnancy observation for several months, and the zoo said her successful delivery represented a crucial addition to the dwindling population of François' langurs.

The vibrant orange infant, whose birth marks the first for the San Diego Zoo since 2019, is in good health, along with its mother.

Francois' langurs, native to parts of China and Vietnam, are recognized for their striking orange hair, which darkens as they mature.

However, their population faces numerous threats, including hunting, habitat loss, and agricultural expansion, leading to a decline of over 50 percent in the last four decades.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, known for its global conservation efforts, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding Francois' langurs and other endangered species.

They said that the organization aims to preserve biodiversity and protect ecosystems through strategic breeding programs and collaboration with conservation partners worldwide.

The recent birth adds to the 71 Francois' langurs housed across 16 accredited Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions in the United States, contributing to the species' survival efforts in human care and the wild.