Chester Zoo is celebrating the birth of not one but two new animals, after two baby mandrills were born five weeks apart.
The primates are the first of their kind to be born at the zoo in more than a decade.
Mandrills are the world’s largest monkey species and are native to a region of Western Africa.
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Sadly, the species threatened, as they are often hunted as bush meat, and many Africans consider them to be a delicacy.
They are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of threatened species, with numbers in the wild having declined significantly in recent years.
The first to arrive was born to 10-year-old mum Brio, who has not previously had any offspring.
The second infant arrived to more experienced mum, Obi (17). The new babies are half siblings and share the same dad, Kamau (11).
Zookeepers are yet to determine the sexes of the new arrivals, as when mandrills are born they cling tightly to their mums for the first few months of life.
Siobhan Ward, Primate Keeper at the zoo, said: “You know what they say about buses! To have two baby mandrills, born within weeks of each other, after more than 10 years, is just incredible.
"The two new arrivals will only spend a few months at their mums’ sides before gaining enough confidence to explore on their own with the rest of the group.
“Mum Brio was actually the last baby to be born at the zoo more than a decade ago and, as a first-time mum, she’s doing a wonderful job and has adapted to parenthood brilliantly. ”
“The two youngsters he has sired will now join a co-ordinated breeding programme with other leading conservation zoos and add to the important insurance population for this charismatic species.”
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