Chester Zoo welcomes birth of 'tiny' rare monkey

The endangered primates weigh just 40g and are 10cm tall

An extremely rare cotton-top tamarin monkey has been born at Chester Zoo.

The miniature species, weighing just 40g, is among the world's most endangered primates, with only about 2,000 left in the wild.

Zoo keeper Siobhan Ward said: "It's a little too tiny and a bit early on to determine its gender at the moment."

The 10cm-tall creatures have a distinctive look with heads striped with white fur and are often found in the illegal wildlife trade.

The zoo said the species is predicted to decline by 80% over the next 20 years.

Nick Davis, the zoo's deputy curator of mammals, said their striking appearance "tends to draw poachers" and their wild habitats have been destroyed by commercial logging.

Only about 2,000 breeding animals remain in the wild

He continued: "Their crest of hair raises up when then they get excited, or feel that they need to warn off danger, making them look bigger and more intimidating.

"It wasn't that long ago that these miniature primates were seen as quite a common species.

"So their dramatic demise over the last few years shows just how a species thought to be safe can change so rapidly."

The zoo said the animals were highly intelligent and can live for about 25 years but should never be kept as pets.

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