Rare monkeys ‘loving’ new home at The Living Rainforest

The Goeldi’s monkey species is making a return there after almost 30 years.

The Living Rainforest, which features several rare and endangered species, cared for a pair called Sooty and Meeko in 1997.

“They did a breeding programme, they had nine sons,” Bennett said.

“Their sons then went on to breed, and then one of their children had Penelope.”

Penelope, aged four, is one of the new arrivals, and came from Drusillas Zoo in Sussex. She was joined by five-year-old Isabella from Marwell Zoo, near Winchester.

Sooty and Meeko’s offspring helped populate zoos across the UK.

Sooty lived to be the UK’s oldest Goeldi’s monkey at 28-and-a-half years old, and was one of the oldest in the world.