The Chicago Zoological Society announced the birth of an Angolan Colobus monkey at Brookfield Zoo Wednesday.
The monkey, born March 9, is the first birth of this species of colobus born at the zoo.
Infants are born completely white, being able to be camouflaged by their mom’s long white hair. As the monkey develops, its color will change from white to gray to black, reaching adult coloration at about three months of age.
The monkey’s mother, Olivia, shares maternal care with the monkey’s aunt, Chaka, grandmother, Tina, and sire, Sasha. Angolan colobuses in the group take turns carrying the baby, who goes back to the mom when she want its back or when the baby needs to nurse.
Both mom and her baby may be seen daily in the zoo’s Tropic World: Africa exhibit.
All four adults arrived at Brookfield Zoo in August 2012 from Columbus Zoo, Ohio, on a breeding loan that was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Angolan Colobus Species Survival Plan. An SSP, a cooperative population management and conservation program, manages the breeding of a species to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable.
Angolan colobuses are threatened due to habitual destruction, and are hunted for meat in area such as the Congo Basin. The species is found in dense rain forests throughout equatorial Africa and spend most of their time in the canopy.
