Little stars of the animal world

Bornean orang utan Surya gently cradling her week-old newborn at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium in Spain, following an eight-and-a-half-month pregnancy. The infant, born on April 2 and weighing about 1.5kg, clings closely to his mother in his first days of life. — Madrid Zoo/AFP

Newborn animals in zoos across the world are drawing global attention, with keepers stepping in to nurture and protect the most fragile arrivals.

Punch, a Japanese macaque known for clinging to a stuffed orang utan, holds on to a zookeeper at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. A keeper said Punch now rarely relies on the plush toy and is increasingly seen socialising with other monkeys. — Reuters

A veterinarian holding Yuji, a patas monkey born in early March, as he receives care at the Integral Centre of Animal Medicine and Wellbeing at Guadalajara Zoo in Mexico after being rejected by his mother. — Reuters

Linh Mai, a two-month-old Asian elephant, exploring her enclosure alongside Swarna at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC, the United States. Though not her biological mother, Swarna has taken on a nurturing role, offering the young calf comfort and protection. — Getty Images/AFP