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Rare cotton-top tamarin born at Chester Zoo
Pictured: The adorable new arrival with one of its parents.

The zoo recently started caring for the endangered species again. 

A baby cotton-top tamarin has been born at Chester Zoo, a cause for celebration for conservation of the species, which is critically endangered.

The baby, born to parents Treat and Leo, is reportedly being cared for excellently by its parents, and is the first cotton-top tamarin to be born at Chester Zoo in 22 years. 

Siobhan Ward, primate keeper at the zoo, commented on the new arrival: “We strongly suspected that the mother, Treat, was pregnant from regular monitoring of her weight and seeing her belly swell. 

“But it was a fantastic surprise nonetheless to see a tiny little ball of fluff clinging onto her back one morning!

“The baby is far too tiny and a bit early on to determine gender at the moment. Both parents will carry the baby for around the next six months – but it’s actually dad who’s been doing most of the carrying so far, passing it to mum for feeds while he stays protectively close by. Both Treat and Leo have taken to parenthood brilliantly.

“It’s incredibly special to be able to see the little one so soon after its birth and after opening its eyes for the first time to take in the world.” 

Native to a small area in northern Colombia, only five per cent of the cotton-top tamarin's original habitat remains intact due to mass deforestation, and only 2,000 of the primates exist in the wild. 

Also a huge threat to the creatures, the illegal wildlife trade continues to be interested in cotton-top tamarins and their unique look. 

Nick Davis, deputy curator of mammals at the zoo, explained: “The cotton-top tamarin is an exquisite animal but sadly it's one of the most endangered primate species on the planet.

“It's a highly threatened species because its wild habitat has been destroyed by commercial logging for the agriculture, paper and timber industries, and these miniature monkeys are also regularly found in the illegal wildlife trade.”

“It wasn’t that long ago that these miniature primates were seen as quite a common species, so their dramatic demise over the last few years shows just how a species thought to be safe can change so rapidly.

Due to their complex social and environmental needs, cotton-top tamarins should never be kept as pets. They’re highly intelligent animals that can live for around 25 years when safe in zoos.”

 

Images (C) Chester Zoo

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.