Four endangered baby monkeys born at Trentham Monkey Forest
The new arrivals were discovered clinging to their mothers in the treetops during morning feeds.
Four endangered baby Barbary macaques have been born at Trentham Monkey Forest.
The tiny new arrivals were discovered by the team during morning feeds, with the babies spotted clinging closely to their mothers high up in the trees.
Staff at the Staffordshire attraction say the births mark the start of baby season at the forest, with the newborns behaving just as they would in the wild.
The arrival of the four babies is being celebrated as an important milestone for the species, with fewer than 8,000 Barbary macaques believed to remain in the wild across Morocco and Algeria.
Trentham Monkey Forest is home to 140 free-roaming Barbary macaques, who live across a 60-acre woodland site.
The monkeys are spread across three social groups and spend their days climbing, grooming, playing and raising their young in a way that closely mirrors natural Barbary macaque behaviour.
Baby season is an especially exciting time for the monkey guides, as staff never know exactly when a new arrival will appear.
Barbary macaques are seasonal breeders, mating during the winter before a gestation period of around five and a half months.
In late spring and early summer, females often retreat quietly to their sleeping areas before reappearing with a newborn the following day.
The forest team says that means their first glimpse of a baby often comes early in the morning while breakfast is being delivered to the groups.
Visitors may also be lucky enough to spot the newborns during their first days in the forest — and in some cases, babies may be only hours old when seen by the public for the first time.
The team at Trentham Monkey Forest say they are thrilled to welcome the newest members of their monkey family.