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Goeldis monkey born at the zoo

A tiny Goeldi’s monkey has been born at Paignton Zoo. The baby for first-time parents, Eva and Rio, arrived on 23rd January 2021.

Male Rio arrived at the zoo in July 2017 and was the sole Goeldi’s monkey for some time, until female Eva joined him in January 2020 from Walter Zoo in Switzerland in a move, which was part of the European ex-situ breeding programme (EEP).

The youngster will spend the first few weeks riding on mum’s back, and when it gets a bit bigger both parents will take turns caring and carrying. Keepers will name the baby when they can determine its gender; this will be when the baby starts to spend time off mum. Infants are weaned at around 65 days.

Goeldi’s monkeys (Callimico goeldii) are small New World monkeys native to the upper Amazon regions of Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, and take their name from its discoverer, the Swiss naturalist Emil August Goeldi. They have shaggy black hair, claw-like nails and long tails.

Lisa Britton, Curator of Mammals said: “This new arrival is important for the species as they are classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, with their wild numbers thought to be decreasing due to the main threat of habitat loss”.

Paignton Zoo is part of Wild Planet Trust. They are both registered charities striving to conserve species and habitats, and to inspire and empower people to help in the fight to protect wildlife. For more information visit www.paigntonzoo.org.uk and www.wildplanettrust.org.uk.