A pair of “exceptionally rare” twin monkeys have been born at Chester Zoo, and they’re helping to safeguard their species from extinction.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo’s new duo are cotton-top tamarin monkeys, and they arrived to parents, Leo and Treat, following a five-month pregnancy, weighing just 40g at birth and measuring only 10cm from their heads to the tips of their tails.
Keepers at Chester Zoo have compared the twins to “the size of “golf balls”.
Called cotton-top tamarins due to their striking mane of white fur that starts at their forehead and runs over their shoulders, resembling a fluffy cotton ball, conservations say these monkeys are “instantly-recognisable” for their unique appearance.
The miniature monkeys are native to a small area in northern Colombia, where sadly only 5% of their original habitat remains intact due to mass logging for the agriculture, paper, and timber industries.
Unfortunately though, due to their “instantly-recognisable” appearance, this has led to a major decline in numbers, Chester Zoo has revealed, as they are often captured for the illegal wildlife trade and sold as pets.
As a result, the species is listed as ‘critically endangered’ on the International Union of Conservation and Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of the world’s most threatened species, as it’s estimated that just 2,000 remain in the wild.
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This makes them one of the rarest primate species on Earth.
Chester Zoo has announced the birth of some ‘exceptionally rare’ twin monkeys / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s wonderful to see the two tiny babies clinging to mum and dad as they leap from tree to tree,” explained Mike Jordan, who is the Animal and Plant Director at Chester Zoo.
“When cotton-top tamarins are born, they look just like adults, except they’re even teenier – around the size of golf balls.
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“Mum and dad have been sharing parental duties, and as a result the little ones are both thriving. It’s still early days, so the babies are too tiny for us to confidently determine if each of them is male or female but, in a few months time, we’ll know for sure when they grow in confidence and start to branch out and explore the treetops on their own.”
Conservationists at Chester Zoo are part of a Europe-wide plan to prevent the species from disappearing altogether.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
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One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
12th August 2024 
