Pembrokeshire’s Folly Farm has introduced its adorable new zoo arrivals, a new breeding pair of cotton-top tamarins called Ray and Raquel.

Cotton-top tamarins are easily recognisable from their long crest of fluffy white hair on top of their heads and towards their shoulders. Despite their adorable appearance and the fact they’re so much fun to watch as they’re so active, they are, more crucially, classed as a critically endangered species. In fact, only five per cent of their original habitat in the tropical forests of Northwestern Columbia remain – with just 2,000 adults remaining in the wild.

The hope at Folly Farm is that this new couple will become a breeding pair, which would be amazing news for the species. The adorable duo settled in straight away and are reported to be very comfortable with each other after arriving just a fortnight ago. They’ve already been spotted grooming each other's fur - a clear sign of trust and affection.

Keeper Kim Cartwright commented; "We're so excited to welcome Ray and Raquel to our zoo family. They're an adorable addition but more importantly, being such a rare species in the wild, it's an opportunity to educate our guests about these animals and the plights they face. They're settling in really well so far and are so much fun to watch because they’re so active. We hope they become a breeding pair and we can one day welcome the pitter patter of tiny primate infants - which will be excellent news for the critically endangered species, as well as exciting for us and our visitors!”

Keepers have created a habitat for the new arrivals with plenty of climbing areas as well as nest-boxes and shaded sections for privacy. There will also be an outdoor area for them soon in stage two of this new development. Ray is reported to be the more confident and inquisitive of the pair- whilst Raquel prefers to observe. They enjoy a diet of greens, root veg and insects - with sweet potato a clear favourite!

Guests can see Ray and Raquel in Tropical Trails this half term.