Polish zoo welcomes world's smallest monkey
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
22.12.2012 16:40
A baby pygmy marmoset – the world's smallest monkey – has been born at the municipal zoo in Lodz, central Poland.
Mother Dene with her new-born: photo - PAP/Grzegorz Michalowski
The minuscule monkeys, which hail from the rainforests of Latin America, grow to just 15 cm, and a newly-born marmoset is barely as long as a child's finger.
Pygmy marmosets are a highly endangered species, and thus every new arrival is a big event for zoos attempting to rear the animals.
Lodz Zoo has two adult pairs, and the marmosets can live to over twenty years in captivity (11-12 years in the wild).
The birth, represents some much-needed good news for the zoo, just in time for Christmas.
The zoo lost three giraffes in recent months, including two females which collapsed in shock after a break-in.
In October, the giraffes' mate Tofik followed, after succumbing to a sudden illness.
Zoo staff have left proud mum Dene to get used to her new arrival since last Thursday, and will choose a name once the sex of the youngster has been confirmed. (nh)