Chester Zoo welcomes first baby mandrills to be born there for 10 years

Staff at the zoo, which is located at Upton-by-Chester, Cheshire, have celebrated the birth of two mandrills born just five weeks apart.

Mandrills are the world's largest monkey's and are vulnerable to extinction in the wild, as they are at risk from habitat loss and being hunted for meat.

Now, the first to arrive was born to new mum Brio, with the second infant arriving to experienced mum Obi; the new babies are half siblings and share the same dad, Kamau.

The 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.

"Both mums, Brio and Obi, will have the rest of the mandrill horde to help care for their new babies, as it’s a real group effort, but once they branch off and start to explore they’ll certainly be kept busy.”

Mandrills 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.

Primate experts say the biggest threat the species faces is habitat loss, as the forests they live in continue to be aggressively cut down for timber and agricultural use, mandrills are also hunted for the bushmeat trade.

Leading conservation zoos are caring for vital insurance populations of mandrills, as part of their key role in tackling the global biodiversity crisis.

Dr. Nick Davis, assistant curator of mammals at the zoo, said: “Like many primate species, mandrills live in large and very complex groups made up of strict hierarchies.

"Our primate experts, using their decades of experience and know-how, have closely monitored the group over the years to understand its delicate balance.

"Now, Kamau, a new dominant male who has been carefully integrated with the other 10 members, appears to have really hit it off with the females.

"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.”

Mandrills are native to a region of Western Africa, they are born with grey faces, but will soon start to develop their red muzzle – with blue ridges on both side of their faces – as they mature and reach adulthood.

In the Spring, conservation education specialists at Chester Zoo are hoping their new campaign – Discover Something New – will spotlight unusual and lesser known species, such as mandrills.