PICTURES: Meet the new Sussex royals born at Drusillas Park
Meet Duke and Queenie who are kings of the swing at the East Sussex zoo
Last updated 1st Jun 2022
A Sussex zoo is celebrating the birth of two critically endangered monkeys born just in time for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee – and have marked the occasion by giving the twins fittingly royal names in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
These jungle VIPs Queenie and Duke, are two adorable baby cotton-top tamarins born on 6th May 2022 at Drusillas Zoo Park, and keepers are delighted to confirm the infants are presenting as happy, healthy and just a little bit cheeky.
Recent visitors to the park have enjoyed spotting the tiny babes clinging to mum Florencia’s back as she proudly shows off her new arrivals and keepers are preparing some special decorations in their enclosure for the bank holiday.
One of the most threatened species of primates in the world, it is estimated there are less than 6,000 cotton-tops remaining in the wild, which makes the healthy arrival of this pair a huge success for the conservation of the species.
Native to Colombian rainforests, cotton-tops are known for their spectacular crest of white hair, often likened to ‘mad professor’ characters.
Head Keeper, Gemma Romanis, said: “We are over the moon to confirm that both mum and babies are making excellent progress, and Florencia is proving to be a very caring and sweet mama. We usually ask the public to name our zoo borns, but with the celebration of the Platinum Jubilee coming up – another very rare occurrence – we just couldn’t miss the opportunity to give them names to remember the historic moment.
“As well as being totally adorable, the cause for celebration is that much more when we successfully breed a critically endangered species at Drusillas.
“Cotton-tops are under threat of extinction in the wild due to extensive deforestation and illegal pet trade, so the healthy arrival of this pair provides a crucial boost for the population, and we’re all really proud to play our part in the future survival of this beautiful primate.”