Baby fever at Wellington Zoo: Five new primates born just in time for school holidays

There's baby fever at Wellington Zoo, with a new baby chimpanzee, newborn cotton-top tamarin and triplet pygmy marmosets joining the pack.

The pygmy marmoset babies are a real win for the zoo – it's the first-time triplets have survived in Australasia since 1991, when a set was born in Perth.

Wellington Zoo animal care manager Nic Dunn told the Herald while it's not rare for triplets to be born, it is rare for them to survive.

"It is uncommon for parents to rear three – usually one dies."

Born to second-time parents mum Maya and dad Tunche, the babies are growing nicely. Both parents take turns carrying their babies around, but Tunche does the lion's share of the work.

Dunn says the babies are "running about coming off their backs, eating on their own".

The pygmy marmoset triplets. Photo / Wellington Zoo

"While they're still going to Mum for milk, for the most part they're independent."

While the triplets are rare, they're not the only babies worth celebrating – there's also a brand-new baby cotton-top tamarin as well.

Dunn says this is extremely exciting, as cotton-tops are one of the most endangered on the planet.

"Back in the 60s and 70s, 40,000 were taken into the states for biomedical research for colon cancer, so now there's only 6000 left in the world and 12,000 of those are in zoos."

Born in early June to Celeste and Soto, the pair share the load of carrying baby around with their first-born son German.

The newborn cotton-top tamarin. Photo / Wellington Zoo

All three take turns carting the newest arrival around the exhibit.

Dunn says the latest baby has not yet been named, as for cotton-top tamarin, the zoo partners with its conservation partners in Colombia and allows them to name the new arrivals.

"We're very proud of being rainbow tick certified here so we try to have gender neutral names."

Last but certainly not least there's Akida the baby chimp – slightly more developed at 8 months old, Akida has just started walking on his own – but still sticks close to mum Sally.

Akida the baby chimpanzee. Photo / Wellington Zoo

"Akida the chimp, at this age they start finding their legs, start coming off Mum – he's an infant now, no longer a neonate but a bit wobbly ... he's the baby of the group so I'm sure Akida is going to make the most of that by getting away with blue murder."

Dunn says the new babies are super exciting – and they've come just in time for the school holidays too.

"So all of the parents can come with their little monkeys to look at our little monkeys."