British zoo announces birth of tiny Goeldi's monkey

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- A British zoo announced the birth of a tiny Goeldi's monkey, with the infant primate being described as weighing about the same as a golf ball.

The Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, England, said the still-unnamed baby was born in November to first-time parents Rina and Max.

The zoo said the monkey, native to the Amazon regions of Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and Peru, has now been seen exploring its surroundings from its position on its mother's back.

"The baby is doing really well. Although it will cling on to its mother's back for a little while more, it's already becoming really inquisitive, especially when it comes to food," Dave Rich, Newquay Zoo's head keeper, said in the birth announcement.

The zoo said Goeldi's monkeys weigh between 1.5 to 2.2 ounces at birth, "roughly the weight of a golf ball." The monkeys typically grow to be about 9 inches tall.