Christmas came early for some of Hamilton Zoo's cutest new additions yesterday – but they didn't want a bar of it.
Pygmy marmosets, mother Tinka and son Salvador, refused handler John Ray's Christmas treats, preferring to hide high among the branches in their new enclosure.
The pair, who were born in England and imported to Wellington Zoo in January, are still a little timid, having arrived at the zoo just last Thursday.
As the smallest primates in the world, a full-grown pygmy marmoset weighs in at just 150 grams and is barely bigger than a palm of an adult hand.
The zoo hopes eventually to start a breeding programme for marmosets, with Salvador as lead man. His mum, Tinka, was brought along to chaperone.
Mother and son were not the only ones reluctant to get into the festive spirit – Akida, the serval, was also not keen to open her present.
But keeper Kylie Martin eventually managed to coax the sub-saharan cat – and Akida clawed his way to a new toy ball, wrapped in Christmas paper.
Ms Martin said servals were quite easy to train and she had managed to bring Akida around, after he took a few swipes at her legs when he first arrived a couple of years back.
But what he liked most was sleeping on his sheepskin rug.
The zoo's third new arrival is 6-year-old female African wild dog Rukiya, who will be introduced to two of the zoo's existing males to form a new breeding pack.
The African wild dog is the second most endangered carnivore in Africa, but they have successfully been bred at Hamilton Zoo in the past.
Meanwhile, all the animals will enjoy a peaceful Christmas Day, as it's the only day in the year that the zoo shuts.
Zoo director Stephen Standley said they had planned special treats for all the animals.
"It's likely to be one of the most peaceful and relaxing days of the year for them," he said.
"Just like Christmas should be."
