First images of Melumbe, the adorable bonobo cuddled by mother Malaika

Little Melumbe made his first public appearance in the bonobo enclosure at Cologne Zoo, held by his mother Malaika.

The cub can’t climb or crawl yet, but park curator Johanna Rode-White says Malaika is doing a great job caring for him, considering it’s her first time as a mother.

Bonobos are highly intelligent, sociable, and known for their high level of empathy. The species is threatened with extinction due to poaching and habitat loss, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).