Watch: Trentham Monkey Forest welcomes three newborn Barbary macaques
Three baby monkeys have been born at a popular tourist attraction close to the Shropshire/Staffordshire border, in a success for its conservation program.
Trentham Monkey Forest, based on Trentham Estate, near Stone, has welcomed the birth of three newborn Barbary Macaques in the last few weeks.
The babies were born to their mothers high up in the Staffordshire trees, overnight, as the monkeys live exactly how they would do in the wild.
The birth of these babies is a success for the monkey forest's breeding program and its commitment to the conservation of this endangered species.
Monkey forest park director Matt Lovatt said: "We are thrilled to welcome these new additions to our monkey forest family.
"They are already proving to be incredibly popular with our visitors, who are enjoying watching them play and interact with their monkey families.
"Barbary macaques are a highly endangered species, with less than 8,000 in the wild, so every birth that takes place at the park is very special."
The Barbary macaque is the only species of monkey native to Europe, and their numbers in the wild have been declining rapidly.
Monkey forest conservationists are said to be “over the moon” with this small but important win for the endangered species, months after Sir David Attenborough highlighted the struggles of the wild Barbary macaque in one of his latest BBC Dynasties II episodes.
The monkey forest woodland consists of 140 free-roaming Barbary macaques, who live in the 60-acre forest within Trentham Estate all year round.
The forest is dedicated to educating visitors about these creatures and their importance in the ecosystem, as well as ensuring the survival of the species.
Trentham Monkey Forest works closely with organisations that help protect the wild Barbary macaques in Morocco and Algeria as well as other primates that are facing threats in the wild.
