London Zoo is experiencing a surge in births, welcoming six endangered small mammal infants.
Among the new additions at the central London facility are two golden lion tamarin twins and a critically endangered gentle lemur.
Daniel Simmonds, the zoological operations manager, remarked, “These births represent significant milestones for their species, many of which face serious threats in their natural habitats.”
The new arrivals play a crucial role in preserving their species, marking important progress in European breeding initiatives for these animals.
Recently, zookeepers have named a ten-month-old white-faced saki monkey, Fia, along with two eight-month-old golden lion tamarins—male Pomelo and female Clementine.
The twins, born last spring, have an older brother named Kumquat. Each of the siblings is named after citrus fruits, reflecting their vibrant orange fur.
Their father, Fabio, has taken on a significant role in caring for the young, embodying typical parenting behavior for the species by periodically handing Clementine and Pomelo to their mother for feeding.
Meanwhile, a two-month-old Alaotran gentle lemur has begun making its first brave leaps away from its mother, Hazo, and father, Rocky, exploring the outdoor paddock to nibble on leafy greens.
In the zoo’s otter enclosure, two vulnerable Asian short-clawed otter pups were born last month to mother Midge and father Siyam.
First-time mother Midge, who joined London Zoo from Newquay Zoo last year, has been diligently tending to her young ones in their cozy nesting box, while Siyam takes on a protective role within the family.
The unnamed and unsexed pups are expected to start venturing out of their den around three months of age, at which point they will take their first exploratory swims.
