Conservationists at Chester Zoo have celebrated the birth of one of the world’s most endangered primates.<br /><br />A rare Sulawesi crested macaque monkey was born to the zoo’s macaques Rumple and Mamassa on 16 May.<br /><br />Fewer than 5,000 crested macaques are estimated to remain in their natural habitat on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.<br /><br />The species is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.<br /><br />Mark Brayshaw, head of mammals at Chester Zoo, said the birth was a “step forward” for a global breeding programme that aims to protect the species, which is threatened by habitat loss and poaching.
