STAFF at Marwell Zoo had a Boxing Day surprise with the arrival of a baby white-faced saki monkey.
Marwell Zoo, in Colden Common, has welcomed its newest resident, who is now living with its parents Manja and Twenke and older sibling Rei alongside the golden lion tamarins in the Life Amongst the Trees section of the park.
Arriving on Boxing Day, the baby saki took keepers by surprise, with the three-week-old being the pair's fourth child since being housed together in 2016.
Two of the older offspring, Denny and Diega have since been moved to other collections.
The species is currently listed as being of Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened species and the animals at Marwell are part of an international breeding programme.
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Animal team leader, Amy Denny, said: “Baby will stay tucked into mum’s thigh for a few more weeks then will start moving up onto mum’s back to be carried.
“After this they will start leaving mum occasionally for short periods of time and siblings may help by taking turns carrying the baby.
“It is really important for siblings to experience an infant birth in the family group as this is how they learn to care for their own youngsters.
“Manja is a very experienced mum who does an excellent job raising infants. Twenke will start to get a little more involved as the baby becomes more independent and will share food etc.
“They will also learn play behaviour by trying this out on their siblings, although Rei is now four he might not be too impressed with being used as a climbing frame or wrestling partner."
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The zoo has advised guests to be patient when looking for the new arrival as baby saki often blend in with their mothers when being carried around.
White-faced saki are protected in national parks in Brazil, Guyana and Suriname due to decreasing numbers in the wild.
The monkeys eat mainly seeds and leaves but do also enjoy fruit, fungi and insects. The species has an average lifespan of 35 years.
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