Endangered lion monkeys born in Zurich Zoo

Two little golden lion tamarins, an endangered species of monkey, have recently been born in Zürich Zoo, taking to 11 the number in the Swiss zoological park.

They were born on February 5 and follow their mother everywhere for the moment, clinging firmly to her back, the zoo said on Wednesday. 

This endangered South American species lives in a family, feeding on insects, lizards, small amphibians, fruit, leaves or sap. 

At the end of the 1960s there were some 600 individuals in their natural habitat in Brazil, but a few years later there were no more than 100 to 200. 

Zürich Zoo is participating in a European animal conservation programme which helped reintroduce 146 golden lion tamarins into the Brazilian wild between 1984 and 2000. In 2005, the resulting population had grown to 589 individuals. In 2006 there were also some 220 other individuals resulting from transfers from an endangered natural habitat to a protected environment.