Zoo welcomes newest member

Dixie and her baby - as yet unnamed.

New Plymouth's Brooklands Zoo has welcomed the birth of a tiny capuchin monkey.

The unnamed baby was born to Dixie - now a three-time mother at the zoo - on May 28.

"Dixie has a habit of giving birth when it's either very wet or cold," Pukekura Park curator Chris Connolly says. "When we saw the forecast at the end of May for some bitterly cold weather overnight, we had a feeling she would give birth - and sure enough when we came in the next morning she had a new baby.

"From what staff have observed so far, Dixie is being a great mum. She is being very protective and nurturing towards her baby and both of her sons, Macaco and Izel, are staying close by to her as well."

While Dixie is keeping her baby close to her chest, Brooklands Zoo head keeper Louise McKenna was able to capture some photos of the zoo's new addition for nzherald.co.nz.

Dixie was transferred to Brooklands Zoo in 2008 from Hamilton Zoo as part of an international breeding programme for capuchin monkeys within Zoo and Aquarium Association facilities.

Since then, Dixie has given birth to Macaco in 2009 and Izel in 2011. The father of all three of Dixie's babies is Boo, who was born at Brooklands Zoo in 2001.

The zoo says staff are remaining hands-off with the baby and so will not know its gender for some time.