The new arrival is named after a Viking queen and is good news for the endangered species
The new arrival is named after a Viking queen and is good news for the endangered species
A critically endangered monkey has given birth just months after undergoing surgery that spared her from amputation. Masaya, a 15-year-old roloway monkey living at Chester Zoo, had a golf-ball-sized growth removed from her foot last summer in a complex procedure performed by zoo veterinarians alongside specialists from the University of Liverpool’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital.
Although there were no prior recorded cases of this surgery in roloway monkeys, the team successfully operated, saving all but one of her toes. She has since given birth to Lagertha, who, according to the zoo’s primate experts, is already displaying her mother’s resilience.
Zoe Edwards, primate keeper at Chester Zoo, said: “Masaya is a very experienced mum and she’s parenting magnificently. Lagertha is only a few weeks old and is very dinky, but already curious about the roloway monkey habitat and inquisitive about us.”The fact Masaya’s foot has healed so well is a huge relief. If she’d had an amputation, we’d have been left with real questions about whether she could hold her offspring or continue with her normal behaviours.”
The new arrival is Masaya’s third daughter, and her birth marks a significant moment for the species. Zoe added: “Chester Zoo is one of only two places in the UK that roloway monkeys can be found, and Masaya is very important – not just to her family, but to her whole species. There are only a few breeding females in zoos in Europe.”
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), fewer than two thousand roloway monkeys live wild in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, where they face habitat loss and poaching. They are so rare the health of individuals like Masaya is highly significant to the European Endangered Species Programme, the breeding project set up to ensure the survival of the species.
Masaya experienced recurring problems with her foot since she came to the zoo in 2023. Despite x-rays, ultrasounds and biopsies, vets struggled to identify the cause – eventually concluding a likely persistent abscess, possibly from an old thorn injury. When the swelling worsened in 2025, the decision was made to take Masaya to Liverpool for a CT scan.
Charlotte Bentley, veterinary officer at the zoo’s Animal Health Centre, said: “It’s not every day you take a monkey to vet school. We had to bring everything she might need, from anaesthesia equipment to medications and blankets.”Following the scan, we decided an operation was the way forward. She’s been an absolute trooper all the way through, and I’m just glad we were able to do something for her.”Rachel Burrow, vet and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, played a key role in the CT scan and the operation. She said: “This was the last chance to save Masaya’s foot before amputation.
“Working with primates is completely different from my usual patients, who are typically cats and dogs, and it was a real privilege to care for such a rare animal. It’s great to see the surgery was a success – she’s comfortable, active and using the limb well.”
For the latest news and breaking news visit liverpoolecho.co.uk/news
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by signing up to our daily and breaking newsletter.
Sign up to our breaking news newsletter here.
Follow us on X @LivECHONews or on Bluesky @liverpoolecho.co.uk – official Liverpool ECHO accounts – real news in real time.
We’re also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho – your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
