Exmoor Zoo's Saki monkey gives birth

The baby will cling to its mum for another four months

A monkey from a declining species has had a baby at a zoo in Devon.

Exmoor Zoo said the mum, a Saki white-faced monkey named Diego, and baby are "both doing well".

The female monkey was moved to Exmoor from an enclosure in Hampshire in 2020 to keep the German Saki monkey, Juno, company.

Saki monkeys, often found in Brazil and Guyana, are primarily in captivity and conservation programmes, the zoo said.

Saki monkeys are found in Brazil and Guyana

Keeper Tina Rowtcliff said the mum will carry the baby around for four months and will reach maturity at three years old.

She said: "We have had to wait 147 days to meet this little monkey and are delighted that mum and baby are both doing well."

Male white-faced Saki monkeys have a white ring around their faces, while the females do not.

According to the The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which decides the status of endangered and threatened animals, the white-faced Saki is registered as "least concern".

This means they have a lower risk of extinction.

However the IUCN explains the species' population is declining due to its habitat decreasing, and conservation programmes have been set up to preserve the breed.