Beautiful baby white-lipped tamarins have been welcomed into the world at Ealing Council's Brent Lodge Park Animal Centre in Hanwell.

 

Staff at the centre are inviting residents to come and meet the two new arrivals, who were born on Wednesday 25 January, during the half-term school holidays.

 

The tamarins, whose gender won't be known until they are a little older, join the existing family of mother, father and two boys and a girl that arrived at the centre from the Cotswolds Wildlife Park in autumn. They have taken up residence in the centre's indoor building and being a lively and inquisitive group, have already become a big hit with visitors.

 

Centre manager Ann Morrice said: "We are absolutely delighted at the birth of these beautiful little primates. At the moment, the babies are totally dependent on their parents and older siblings, who take turns to carry them on their backs.

 

"By the half-term holidays they will be ready to start exploring their surroundings a little more and hopefully taking their first tentative steps along the branches of their enclosure."

 

This species of tamarins (also known as red-bellied tamarins) have white hair around the lips and nose, with black head hair, a brown-black back and red-orange under-parts. They are found in the Amazon regions of Brazil and Peru .

 

The centre's family of tamarins like to amuse themselves by searching for food in clothing pockets. Visitors will be able to watch them having fun with the selection of clothing that's in their enclosure, as well as observe how they care for their newest members of the family.

 

The animal centre was developed from a small group of aviaries erected in the 1960s with donations from the RSPCA and HM Customs and Excise. The centre houses sheep, goats, rabbits, guinea pigs and waterfowl. The indoor area contains snakes, spiders, monkeys, marmosets and exotic birds.

 

Most of the exhibits are free to visit, except for a small charge for the indoor area (adult £1, child 50p), including the white-lipped tamarin's enclosure.

 

Address: Church Road , Hanwell W7 3BP .

Tel: (020) 8825 7529

Transport: Train: Hanwell, bus E1, E3, 207, 83

Opening hours: 10.30am - 4pm (winter), 10.30am - 6pm (summer)