Second Colobus Monkey Born at Stone Zoo in Two Months

Stone Zoo announced the arrival of a colobus monkey that was born on Oct. 14.

Authorities at Stone Zoo announced the birth of an Eastern black-and-white colobus monkey that was born on Oct. 14 to mother Teka (aged 6 years) and father Isoke (aged 8 years). The baby made its exhibit debut on Oct. 15 and joined its half-sibling that was born on Sept. 10 at the zoo.

"We are thrilled to share the news of another exciting birth. As with any birth, we are closely monitoring the mother and baby. The baby has been observed nursing and is holding on tightly to its mother, which are both positive signs," said John Linehan, Zoo New England president and CEO, in a press statement.

This is the second colobus monkey born in two months at the zoo.

The birth of the unnamed baby is the result of recommended breeding. Zoo New England actively participates in the Eastern Black and White Colobus Species Survival Plan (SSP) that is a cooperative, inter-zoo program coordinated nationally through the Association of Zoos and Aquarium. SSPs are mainly designed to maintain genetically diverse and demographically stable captive populations of species.

"It will be great fun for our visitors to watch the family dynamics as the two baby colobus monkeys grow up and interact with each other, as well as with their two older siblings born at the zoo last year," Linehan said.

The black and white colobuses are Old World monkeys that are native to Africa. They dwell in all types of closed forests that include montane and gallery forests. The popular dwelling spot for the colobus is bamboo stands. It was due to hunting that colobus monkeys were exterminated from some areas. They are hunted for their fur and their skin is used in making hats, capes and dancing costumes. They also face a great threat from habitat loss.

These monkeys have great cultural and ecological significance in several regions of their native range and can be traced in forests of equatorial Africa. The newborn colobus are mostly white and they develop distinctive black and white coloration around after a year.

It is from the shoulders that the U-shaped mantle of long white fur descends from the animal's shoulders around its back. They reside in territorial groups based upon single male with a several females and offspring. They spend most of the day foraging and sleeping in trees.