Endangered monkeys roam in woods

The animals have been transported from France and Germany

More than 100 endangered monkeys are settling into their new home at a unique wildlife park in Staffordshire.

The 140 Barbary Macaques have been in quarantine for the past few months but are now roaming free in 60 acres of woodland at Trentham Gardens.

It is the only attraction of its kind in the country and opens on 19 July.

Their arrival at the gardens, near Stoke-on-Trent, is part of plans to turn the 750-acre site into one of the UK's top visitor venues.

'Magical experience'

Visitors can wander through the woodland and watch them in the trees or grazing on fruit, sunflower seeds and wheat.

The attraction is the only one in the UK dedicated to one species of monkey.

Despite being native to the Atlas Mountains of Algeria and Morocco and Gibraltar they can thrive in their new habitat. It is not known how many are left in the wild.

"It's a magical experience and for the monkeys it's a real bonus," owner Guillaume de Turkheim told the BBC on Friday.

Public inquiry

"You do not disturb them, they have all the space they need and you can observe all the range of behaviours that you would in the wild.

"We have to respect the environment and to try our best to protect and conserve this fantastic area."

The plans for Trentham Gardens were the subject of a lengthy public inquiry, but were approved by the government in November 2001.

The site closed in December 2003 for the first part of the re-development work, which included improving the Italian Gardens, which were designed by Sir Charles Barry in the 1830s, and the construction of a new visitors' centre.