Endangered monkey born at Chester zoo

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

A rare cotton-top tamarin monkey has been born at Chester zoo.

The baby, born to first-time parents Treat and Leo, measures just 10cm from head to tail and weighs 40g which is less than a chicken egg.

The cotton-top tamarin monkey is listed as critically endangered on the International Union of Conservation and Nature's (IUCN) Red List.

Conservationists at the zoo say they are "overjoyed" at the birth.

The tiny monkeys originally come from a small area in Columbia but only 5% of their native habitat remains due to mass deforestation.

It's estimated that there are just 2,000 breeding animals in the wild partly due to illegal wildlife trade and numbers are predicted to decline even more,

Chester Zoo's Nick Davis said:

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

The zoo said the animals were highly intelligent and can live for about 25 years.

They use more than 38 different calls to communicate to one another, defend their territory, call their young and warn the group of predators.

The baby will be carried around by its parents for around the next six months.