Chester Zoo: Two mandrill babies born after 10-year wait

Two baby mandrills have been born at Chester Zoo more than a decade after the last such birth there.

The baby primates, who are born with grey faces but will develop a colourful red muzzle with blue ridges, were born five weeks apart.

Mandrill numbers are declining in the wild and they are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The zoo said the births were "just incredible".

The two babies, who have not yet been sexed, are half-siblings born to the same father.

Mandrills live in complex hierarchical groups and Chester Zoo's mammal curator Dr Nick Davis said the primates had been closely monitored to understand its balance before a new dominant male was "carefully integrated" with the group.

The two babies are to join a breeding programme with other conservation zoos, he added.

Primate keeper Siobhan Ward said: "You know what they say about buses. To have two baby mandrills, born within weeks of each other, after more than 10 years, is just incredible."

She said the babies would typically spend a few months at their mothers' sides before getting the confidence to explore on their own with the rest of the group.

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