Sussex zoo names new baby monkey ‘Nigel’ to help save ‘critically endangered’ name
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Drusillas Park near Alfriston in East Sussex recently announced the birth of a critically endangered cotton-top tamarin monkey which was born on December 17.
A spokesperson from the park said: “[It’s] fantastic news for the survival of one of the most threatened species of primates in the world.”
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Hide AdThe zoo decided to call the monkey Nigel after zookeepers saw the name on a list of ones that are ‘critically endangered’.
At the end of each year the baby names that fall out of favour and receive no registrations are announced and as a result there is a growing list of names that are at risk of becoming ‘extinct’ in the UK, according to Drusillas.
Head keeper Gemma Romanis said: “Tying in our endangered species conservation with endangered names was an idea that came to me around the time baby was born, when I saw an article about the least popular baby names of the year. It made me feel a little sad that these names are disappearing, and I thought it could be a fun tradition to give our most endangered animals names that no one chooses anymore.
“It also becomes an entertaining way to raise awareness of the threats many of our species’ face in the wild, the more people talking about conservation the better, and it points more people to the amazing work that zoos across the country do to ensure the future survival of the world’s most threatened animals. Plus, I love the idea of some of our animals having quite traditional human names like Nigel, Bill, Carol, or Deidre, which were others on the list.”
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Hide AdThe park said it is estimated that there are less than 6,000 cotton-tops left in the wild.
The head keeper added: “As well as being totally adorable, the cause for celebration is that much more when we successfully breed a critically endangered species at Drusillas. Cotton-tops are under threat of extinction in the wild due to extensive deforestation and the illegal pet trade, so the healthy arrival of Nigel provides a small but crucial boost for the population.”