Pygmy slow loris twins born at Bristol Zoo

Bristol Zoo Gardens is now home to twin baby pygmy slow lorises. These are the 11th and 12th successful births at the zoo, following the arrival of four lorises from Poznan zoo in 1999.

The little newcomers are just two weeks old and are currently about 6cms tall with birth weights of around just 20-25 grams.

A zoo spokesman said: "We are yet to find out the gender of the twins, but once we do names will be decided upon for our two new additions.

"For the first few days, the young loris clings to the belly of its mother but once their young are big enough, the female loris 'parks' her babies, rather than carrying them around everywhere. Our female, Lorraine, is doing just that but will regularly go back to them for feeding and moving them as she sees fit. The family is on-show in Twilight World."

Lorraine and her twins are part of the European Endangered Species (EEP) breeding programme, managed by Poznan Zoo. The natural environment of slow lorises has suffered from extensive destruction due to war, agricultural and development purposes.

Lynsey Bugg, Assistant Curator of Mammals said, "The twins are Lorraine's first babies and she is proving to be a real natural. They are doing really well with their mother, with all of them displaying normal loris behaviours."

The EEP is an intensive type of population management, which involves a species coordinator monitoring status and producing a plan for the future management of their designated species, which includes cultivating breeding opportunities.

For more information about visiting Bristol Zoo Gardens, visit the website at www.bristolzoo.org.uk or phone 0117 974 7300.