Monkeys, deer and kangaroos: The rare baby animals being born at Newquay Zoo

A flurry of rare baby animals have been born at Newquay Zoo, including monkeys, a deer and a kangaroo.

The zoo’s Philippine spotted deer couple, Belle and Neil, have given birth for a second timefollowing the arrival of their fawn Dylan in 2022.

The species of deer is one of the rarest in the world with only 700 remaining in thewild, meaning they are classed as a critically endangered species.

Golden lion tamarin, Missy, has also just given birth to a pair of babies. The small monkeys are traditionally found in Brazilian forests and only 2,500 remain in the wild.

The species used to be on the critically endangered list but thanks to a breeding programme involving 41 zoos and institutions around the world, their numbers have slowly started to increase and they are now on the vulnerable species list.

A family of dusky pademelons has also welcomed a new baby, called Joey. Pademelons are named after the native Australian term for "small kangaroo from the forest."

The marsupials look similar to wallabies, and their population has declined by 30% in the last 15 to 20 years.

John Meek, Curator of Plants and Animals at Newquay Zoo, said: “We are so pleased to see so many babies, including some very rare species, here at the zoo.

"We can’t wait for visitors to come in and meet them all”.

“And that’s not all. Bird breeding season is well underway, with several species – includingour Humboldt penguins – already looking after eggs, so we may have some new babies here at Newquay in a few months’ time.”