Zoo member Mark Johnson captured the special moment between the primate parents Maggie and Bella at the conservation zoo. Whilst Maggie is Eka’s biological mum, these critically endangered monkeys engage in allomothering, where the female troop members all lend a hand in caring for the infants.
Eka, meaning first born, was the first addition to the troop since they moved into their new habitat, Monkey Forest, last year. Another two babies have since been born as part of the conservation breeding programme, which is carefully managed to preserve a healthy population of these sadly endangered primates.
Zoo members like Mark can visit both London and Whipsnade Zoo as often as they like, offering plenty of chances to capture incredible moments like this.