AssetID: 55680070
Headline: Cheeky monkeys! Beautiful baby barbary macaques born in Staffordshire
Caption: BY MARK WORGAN Four adorable Barbary macaque babies have been born at Trentham Monkey Forest in Staffordshire, conservationists at the park have announced. The newborn monkeys arrived high in the treetops of the Staffordshire woodland, reflecting the behaviour of Barbary macaques in the wild. Staff at the park described the births as “a small but important win for a highly endangered species”, with more than half of the wild Barbary macaque population believed to have disappeared over the past 40 years. Fewer than 8,000 Barbary macaques are now thought to remain in the wild, mainly in Morocco and Algeria. The 60-acre woodland park is home to 140 free-roaming Barbary macaques living in three social groups. Conservationists say the environment allows the primates to behave in much the same way as their wild counterparts. Park staff said pregnancies are difficult to confirm, meaning the arrival of newborns often comes as a surprise. Barbary macaques mate during the winter months and have a gestation period of around five and a half months. During late spring and early summer, pregnant females retreat to sleeping areas within the woodland before reappearing with newborn infants clinging to them. Staff members often first spot the arrivals while delivering breakfast to the monkey groups in the morning. Anna Smith, Head Guide at the park, said the baby season was always a special time for staff. “It’s hard to describe how amazing baby season is,” she said. “The Barbary macaque is a species that experiences challenging times in the wild. Being victims of the illegal pet trade, suffering habitat loss and experiencing wildfires has had a profound impact on their wild populations.” “Welcoming between 6-10 babies to the forest, who will go on to live remarkably similar days to their wild counterparts gives this species in jeopardy a powerful lifeline and is a small yet important victory for them.” “As we welcome 4 fresh bundles of joy to the woodland, we cannot wait to see who’s next to join the Monkey Forest family, with more babies expected to arrive soon.” The conservation project began in 2005 and more than 100 baby monkeys have been born at the site since it opened. The park works alongside organisations in Morocco and Algeria to help protect wild Barbary macaques and other threatened primates, while also educating visitors about the risks facing the species.
Keywords: Trentham Monkey Forest,feature,monkey,animals,nature
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