VISITORS to Dudley Zoo and Castle had an even more exciting day than expected when a rare Colombian black spider monkey gave birth in an outdoor paddock right before their eyes.

Evita, aged 16, gave birth in the outside paddock in front of stunned onlookers on Friday – one of the hottest and busiest days of the year.

What's more - it's the first time the zoo has witnessed the birth of a critically endangered Colombian black spider monkey in four decades.

Zoo curator Richard Brown said: “This is incredibly exciting news for the zoo to celebrate the birth of such a rare primate species.

“Animals usually give birth in the quiet of the night and we’d prepared for the impending arrival by setting up cameras in the indoor den and made alterations to the off-show area, in case we needed to separate the group, but Evita decided to surprise us all with an outdoor birth in the hot midday sunshine, with visitors alerting keepers to the event.”

Evita and baby are now doing well, living together as a family unit with 15-year-old dad, Chester, and fellow adults Valentine and Charlie.

Richard added: “For a first-time mum, Evita is being really attentive and the baby looks to be thriving.

Dudley News:

“Mum will exclusively carry her newborn for the next few months, first on her stomach and then on her lower back.”

Colombian spider monkeys are hunted for their meat, as well as being under threat from forest deforestation, and they are listed as critically endangered on the International Union of the Conservation of Nature’s Red List.