Belfast Zoo welcomes ‘spring baby boom' with new arrivals including sloth, emus and Colombian spider monkey

Belfast Telegraph

2 days ago

Among the newest arrivals is a cotton-top tamarin, emu chicks, a wallaby, two-toed sloth, meerkat pups and a Colombian spider monkey.
Lara Clarke, Belfast Zoo Curator explained she was pleased to see such a fruitful spring at the zoo.
'This baby boom is something truly special. Many of these species are in real danger of disappearing in the wild,' she said.
"Breeding success like this isn't just adorable - it's essential. It reflects the incredible care from our teams and the vital role modern zoos play in conservation, education and species survival,' she said.
A cotton-top tamarin infant – one of the most endangered primates on the planet – was born to experienced parents Vicky and Spencer at the zoo and is their ninth baby since arriving in Belfast.
With fewer than 2,000 mature individuals left in the wild, according to the IUCN Red List, the zoo said every birth of this critically endangered monkey is a 'beacon of hope'.
In the zoo's 'Animals of Australia' habitat, there's double the reason to celebrate. Emu pair, Bruce and Sheila have welcomed an incredible five fluffy chicks, while a baby wallaby joey is also beginning to peek out from its mother's pouch.
Both species are new additions to Belfast Zoo and are already delighting visitors.
Meanwhile, over in their meerkat mob - a group that only arrived a few months ago – the zoo has welcomed two new pups, their second litter this year.
Elsewhere in the zoo's Rainforest House, Linne's two-toed sloth parents Priscita and Enrique have had their second baby in under a year - what has been described as a 'rare and remarkable achievement' for the species.
Nearby, in the primate section, the zoo is also celebrating the birth of a Colombian spider monkey, an endangered species threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
Ruairi Donaghy, senior keeper, said it has been a privilege welcoming the babies.
'It's been amazing to watch Priscita become a mum again so soon - she's calm, caring and completely devoted. Seeing our young spider monkey thrive is equally rewarding.
"These births make all the long hours worth it. They remind us why we do what we do - to protect species and inspire people to care about wildlife.'
Many of the zoo's residents are part of coordinated European breeding programmes (EEPs), which work to safeguard healthy, genetically diverse populations of endangered species in human care.
The zoo said visitors and animal lovers can look forward to seeing all the babies out and about at the zoo this summer.