As mums up and down the country are pampered by their loved-ones on Sunday, Hester, a silvery marmoset at Drusillas Park in Alfriston will be joining in the celebrations after giving birth to a precious little bundle.
Hester arrived at Drusillas from Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire in July 2008, to be introduced to Captain Jack and his son Undi.
It was love at first sight for the pearl coloured mini-monkeys and on 26th February 2010, the pair were rewarded with their own tiny gem.
Native to the forests of Central and South America, the population of silvery marmosets is declining in the wild mainly due to habitat destruction and the pet trade. The group at Drusillas is part of a European breeding programme created to secure the survival of the species in the future, making the latest arrival even more special.
This is not the first time Hester has given birth at the zoo. Sadly, in 2009 she suffered a miscarriage closely followed by the birth of premature twins a few months later. Tragically, the babies were not strong enough to survive on that occasion but hopefully the arrival of the new addition will mark a happy end to a difficult year for the family.
To reward Hester’s efforts this Mothers’ Day Drusillas keepers will be on hand to deliver a treasure trove of her favourite treats including fruit, insects, yoghurt, rice, nuts and seeds. They will also be placing double helpings of tree gum within the branching of the enclosure for her extra gnawing and gouging delight.
Head Keeper, Mark Kenward commented: “We are absolutely delighted with the new baby monkey. Hester has adapted extremely well to her role as a mum and is doing a great job with the help of Captain Jack and Undi. The baby looks really healthy and is growing stronger with each passing day.”
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For more information please contact:
Claire Peters
Head of Public Relations
Drusillas Park
Tel: 01323 874112
Fax: 01323 874101
Email: claire.peters@drusillas.co.uk
About Drusillas Park
Drusillas Park in Alfriston, East Sussex is a small zoo where you can get nose to nose with nature. There are over 100 animal species in naturalistic environments including meerkats, penguins, monkeys, otters, bats, snakes and lemurs. For more information visit www.drusillas.co.uk
Directions – Drusillas (postcode BN26 5QS) is situated just off the A27 at Alfriston, approximately 7 miles from Eastbourne and 15 miles from Brighton.