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Say hello to the world’s smallest monkey baby

The phrase ‘good things come in small packages’ rings true at a zoo in Sussex who are celebrating the healthy arrival of the world’s smallest monkey baby, the first in 10 years!

The tiny tot is a pygmy marmoset - a species listed as vulnerable in the wild - was discovered by keepers on 5th August, who could just about make out a micro ball of fur clinging to mum Rosie’s back. Pygmy marmoset newborns measure around 3cm, or roughly the size of a human thumb. They will reach around 12-15cm in length and 100g in weight when fully grown.

Since its arrival, the petite babe has been passing the early stages of development with flying colours, and can already be seen leaping around independently, returning to mum regularly for cuddles and food. Drusillas are asking followers on their socials to suggest a name for the mini monkey.

Mum Rosie arrived at Drusillas Park on 30th January and keepers were hopeful that her pairing with resident male, Ben, would result in successful breeding efforts. Keepers observed that Ben appeared to be ‘smitten’ with Rosie from the moment she arrived, following her everywhere she went, and it seems she reciprocated his feelings as the baby must have been conceived about six weeks after their union.

Until now, Drusillas had not welcomed a pygmy marmoset baby in over a decade, and the news represents a tiny but crucial boost for the species, which is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Zoo Manager, Mark Kenward, commented: “We had been hoping for the arrival of a pygmy infant for a long time, so it’s wonderful news to announce! We’re always particularly proud when we welcome the birth of a species at risk of extinction, and it’s a privilege to play our part in conservation.”

“Pygmy marmosets are typically quite shy, but Rosie has always been more confident in her nature, coming over to investigate what’s going on, which has made it easier for us to carry out observations on the infant who is doing brilliantly. It also seems the baby has inherited mum’s confidence as it’s already bouncing around on its own quite happily!”

Pygmy marmosets are the smallest true monkey, and one of the smallest primates in the world, native to the rainforests of South America. The species is classified as vulnerable on the ICUN Red List of threatened species, due to habitat loss and the exotic pet trade where they have become popularly known as ‘finger monkeys’, a worrying trend seeing marmosets taken prematurely from their mothers and sold as ‘cute’ accessories.

Drusillas is a member of EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) and many of their animals are part of EEPs (EAZA Ex-Situ Programmes), which aim to conserve healthy populations of animals in captivity. The acquisition of new animals and the regular exchange of animals between and beyond EAZA Members is essential when realizing healthy, demographically, and genetically sustainable populations. Primates are a particular cause for concern due to the threat of extinction in the wild. Drusillas is proud to be doing their part to safeguard threatened species and ensure that these amazing monkeys do not risk extinction.

Animal fans wanting to help name the teeny youngster can do so on Drusillas’ Facebook page and visitors can catch a glimpse of the baby in the zoo’s mixed habitat they share with two of the zoo’s sloths, Flash and Gordon, and the Park’s red-footed tortoises, Porthos, Eagle, and Dartanian.

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