Baby lion tamarin starting to find its feet

Oh they grow up so fast don't they.

A three-month-old golden tamarin monkey called Kumquat has been spotted taking tentative steps or swings away from its parents for the first time.

It just so happened to pop its head out for visitors at London Zoo just a couple of days before International Golden Lion Tamarin Day, which takes place on Wednesday 2 August.

Kumquat and some kumquats!

The tiny monkey, who was named after the similar coloured fruit, was born in May to parents Valentina and Fabio.

Kumquat has been clinging to Mum and Dad since birth but is showing its first signs of independence this week, while staying within the safe confines of the Rainforest Life space.

It lives alongside its parents, plus two-toed sloths, tamanduas (a type of anteater), tortoises and other threatened species.

Now the baby is venturing away from its parents, zoo staff may be able to decipher the sex of the youngster soon.

Golden lion tamarins are listed as endangered species due to their habitats being destroyed by logging and rainforest development.

They also often suffer with diseases such as yellow fever.

Their status has been "upgraded" from Critically Endangered (meaning a species is almost already extinct), after they were brought back from the brink thanks to a breeding programme in the 1970s.

Most of the species are still bred in captivity and more help is needed to encourage their population in the wild.