00:0015-year-old roll-away monkey Macea has given birth to a healthy infant named Lagertha,
00:07after undergoing surgery last summer to remove a large mass from her foot.
00:11The procedure was adapted by vets at Chester Zoo in partnership with surgeons from the University of Liverpool,
00:18marking one of the first times such a complex operation has been carried out on this species.
00:24Most of Macea's toes were saved, allowing her to continue normal behaviours, including parenting.
00:32Macea, now a mother of three, had been suffering recurring problems with her foot since she arrived in Chester in
00:392023,
00:40and vets believe the abscess may have been caused by an old thorn injury.
00:45Primates at the zoo are rare in the UK, with very few breeding females in Europe.
00:50Macea's recovery demonstrates both veterinary skill and careful post-operative care,
00:56and zoo staff report she is actively engaging with her offspring.
01:00Lagertha, named after a Viking queen, is just over four weeks old and about the size of a tennis ball.
01:07Vets emphasise the importance of such interventions for conservation.
01:11With fewer than 2,000 roll-away monkeys remaining in the wild in Ghana and the Ivory Coast,
01:17actions like these support the survival of endangered species and enhance breeding programmes across Europe,
01:24giving hope for continued preservation and public education efforts about wildlife.
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