The famous primates are due to be introduced “soon” inside the rainforest glasshouse, according to the tropical rainforest park.
The new arrivals, named Penelope, aged four, and Isabella, aged five, are expected to serve as “ambassadors” for rainforest conservation, supporting international education missions.
Penelope is a romance-tinged continuation of a family legacy, being the great granddaughter of the park’s original Goeldi’s monkeys, named Sooty and Meeko, who reportedly held the record of being the oldest of their kind in the UK.
Sooty lived at The Living Rainforest until an age of 28 and a half years, making her the oldest Goeldi’s monkey in the UK at the time and the second oldest in captivity globally.
The Living Rainforest shared a heartwarming detail that Sooty and Meeko went on to have nine offspring, five of which helped establish new family groups in various other UK zoos.
Goeldi’s monkeys, a threatened species listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, have received a boost in their struggle for survival with this move.
At-risk due to habitat loss, the Living Rainforest’s involvement with these primates is seen as a vital commitment.
The Living Rainforest is collaborating with the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading to beef up conservation efforts, another one of the green initiatives from the park.
The park revealed: “Modern zoos act as a vital lifeline for the countless species whose natural habitats are disappearing.
“Zoos provide a biological ‘safety net’ for species under threat, by managing captive-bred populations to ensure their continued survival, while simultaneously advocating for the importance of habitat conservation and sustainable land use practices.”
The two monkeys, originally from Drusillas Zoo and Marwell Zoo, are indicative of The Living Rainforest’s efforts to diversify its fauna.
Goeldi’s monkeys (Callimico goeldii), indigenous to the upper Amazon Basin in South America, are adapted to thrive amidst the dense, bamboo-rich understorey rainforest where they forage for fruit, insects, and fungi.
Sadly, their numbers are declining in the wild due to habitat destruction, unsustainable agriculture, and illegal poaching for the pet trade.
The Living Rainforest, emphasising the pivotal custodial role modern zoos play, hopes to further expand their new troop of Goeldi’s monkeys through collaboration with the international studbook keeper.
The Rainforest Park in Thatcham will introduce the monkeys into their glasshouses in the coming days.
Visitors are encouraged to keep checking the Living Rainforest’s website and social media channels for updates about the arrival of the Goeldi’s monkeys.