SHALDON Wildlife Trust is celebrating a happy event.

A golden headed lion tamarin has been born there for the first time.

'As they are such an endangered primate, this baby will be an important contribution to the coordinated breeding programme for this species,' said Tracey Moore, director of the wildlife trust.

The father, Wagner, was born in 1995 at Antwerp Zoo, and the mother a year earlier at London Zoo.

'Initially mum was very protective of her first baby, but now dad is doing his share of looking after the youngster, as is normal for marmosets and tamarins.

'In the wild this means the female has more time to look for food.

'The female has a gestation period of roughly 130 days and will give birth to one, or usually two infants. The baby is doing extremely well, and although for the first couple of weeks it was very difficult to spot the baby, it can now be clearly seen on its parents back,' Tracey added.

Golden headed lion tamarins are predominantly black, with golden fur on the front of their thick, long mane which resembles a lion.

They feed mainly on fruits, but also flowers and nectar, along with small animal prey, such as frogs, snails, lizards and spiders.

Only about five per cent of the species' habitat remains in Brazil, due to agricultural, urban and resort development.

To maintain a healthy, and genetically diverse population, captive bred tamarins have been re-introduced back into the wild in protected areas, to try and save the species from extinction.