Two endangered monkeys have been born in Staffordshire

Trentham Monkey Forest has welcomed the first baby arrivals of the year as two newborn Barbary macaques have been born in the Staffordshire woodland.

The two babies were born to their proud mothers high up in the trees, overnight, as the monkeys live like wild Barbary macaque life as possible – living in the forest all-year-round with next to no human interference.

Conservationists at the park are said to be “over the moon” with this small but important win for the endangered species, with more babies expected to arrive in the coming months.

Monkey Forest Park Director, Matt Lovatt, says "We are thrilled to welcome these new additions to our Monkey Forest family. They are already proving to be incredibly popular with our visitors, who are enjoying watching them play and interact with their monkey families. Barbary macaques are a highly endangered species, with less than 8,000 in the wild, so every birth that takes place at the park is very special and gives all of us so much joy."

The Barbary macaque's numbers in the wild have been declining rapidly, with their population now isolated to fragmented habitat in the mountainous regions of Morocco and Algeria. It is thought that fewer than 8,000 remain in the wild.

Trentham's Monkey Forest is home to 140 free-roaming Barbary macaques, who live freely in the 60-acre forest situated on the historic Trentham Estate.

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.