BORTH Animalarium had two surprise New Year babies after discovering that a pair of marmosets had become parents.

Jean Mumbray, Animalarium owner, said staff discovered the new arrivals on the morning of 1 January.

She said: “On New Year’s Day morning, the keepers found that a pair of cotton eared marmosets had produced their first set of twins.

“I had visited them the evening before and they had been childless and must have produced overnight. I instructed the keeper to close the hatch to the outside as monkeys have been known to take babies outside where they may get cold, and drop off.

“In this species, the father does all the child care and carries them, passing them back to the mother for feeding.”