Zoo celebrates world’s smallest monkey’s twins

Staff at Chester Zoo were celebrating after a pygmy marmoset, the smallest species of monkey, gave birth to twins.

Weighing just over a half an ounce (15g), the babies were born at the end of July but are only now big enough for visitors to spot.

The pygmy marmosets, born to mother Audrey and father Gumi, will only be 13cm long when fully grown. Although the babies were tiny, they are relatively large, equating to around 10 per cent of their mother’s weight.

Eastern pygmy marmosets are found in the rainforests of South America and are under threat from wildlife loss and people trapping them for pets.