Petite primate born at Bristol Zoo Gardens - 21/12/11

A pair of tiny monkeys at Bristol Zoo has just had their fourth baby, keepers have announced.

The baby Goeldi’s monkey is just two weeks old and is only around 10cm long. Despite being so tiny, the petite primate can be seen clinging on to its mother’s back in the zoo’s tropical Zona Brazil exhibit.

The new arrival is great news for the captive breeding programme for this species as it has been classified as ‘vulnerable’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Assistant Curator of Mammals, Lynsey Bugg, is thrilled with the birth. “This is the second baby produced by this pair this year,” she said. “Our adult breeding pair now has four young, born over the past three years, which is a lovely family group.”

Adult Goeldi’s monkeys are about 25cm long and weigh about 0.5kg (1.1lbs) – roughly the same as a grapefruit. They are entirely black with long hair that sticks out around the head.

The female Goeldi’s monkey carries the baby first, for the first 10 to 20 days, after which the male and older siblings take turns in carrying the infant.

Goeldi’s usually live infamily groups of about four to 10 animals made up of a breeding pair and their offspring.The latter remain in the group, even when adult, to help care for their younger siblings. This gives them valuable breeding experience whilst waiting for a suitable territory to become available.

The species is native to the South American countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Peru and Columbia, where they live in tropical rainforests and eat fruit and small insects.However, the monkeys’ forest home is under continual threat of deforestation for logging, farming, oil and gas enterprises.

Bristol Zoo Gardens is a conservation and education charity and relies on the generous support of the public not only to fund its important work in the zoo, but also its vital conservation and research projects spanning five continents.

To find out more about Bristol Zoo, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk or phone 0117 974 7300.

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For press enquiries please contact Bristol Zoo Press Office:

Lucy King, T : 0117 974 7306, or email: lking@bristolzoo.org.uk

Vanessa Hollier, T: 0117 974 7309, email: vhollier@bristolzoo.org.uk

Bristol Zoo Gardens

Notes to editors

• Bristol Zoo is open from 9am every day except Christmas Day. 
• Bristol Zoo Gardens is a conservation and education charity and relies on income from visitors and supporters to continue its important work. 
• In 2011 Bristol Zoo celebrates its 175^th anniversary and wants to do more than celebrate.
• Over that past 175 years, the Zoo has brought six generations of Bristolians closer to wildlife, helped save over 175 species from extinction, established over 30 field conservation and research programmes   all over the world, showed 40 millionschool aged children the wonder of nature and given more than 90 million visitors a wonderful day out.
• Throughout 2011 we’re bring people, businesses, charities and wildlife together to share amazing experiences that raise awareness and funds to save threatened wildlife and places. To find out more, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk/whats-on
• Throughout 2011 we will be focusing our efforts on raising funds and awareness in support of gorilla conservation.
• Throughout 2011 Bristol Zoo will support theEuropean Association of Zoos and Aquaria Ape Campaign.The campaign aims to make a significant and lasting contribution to the continued survival of apes and their habitats, and is being led by Dr Bryan Carroll, the Director of Bristol Zoo.
• To find out more about the EAZA Ape Campaign visit the Zoo website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk/conservation-campaigns.
• Bristol Zoo is involved with more than 100 co-ordinated breeding programmes for threatened wildlife species. 
• Itemploys over 150 full and part-time staff to care for the animals and run a successful visitor attraction to support its conservation and education work. 
• Bristol Zoo supports – through finance and skill sharing - 15 projects in the UK and abroad that conserveand protectsome of the world’s most endangered species.
• In 2010 Bristol Zoo Gardens set up a Conservation Fund to raise vital funds to help care for threatened animals and plants – both in the Zoo and through the conservation work we do in the UK and around the world.
• Bristol Zoo Gardens is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums. BIAZA represents more than 90 member collections and promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums.