Newborn colobus captures keepers hearts
Keepers at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park near Ashford are in love with a week old baby colobus monkey – the latest addition to one of the black and white colobus groups at the park. At this young age keepers are unable to tell whether it is male or female.
Head Primate Keeper, Simon Jeffery explains: ‘This adorable infant is doing very well with mum and the rest of the group – we tend not to get involved at this stage, unless we have to, so that the bond between mum and infant is not broken. We have some ideas for names but we will have to wait and see if the little one is a boy or girl before we decide on a final name.’
The captivating addition to the black and white colobus group will be looked after by all the females in the troupe, not just mum, for at least the first few months where it will be warm, protected and nourished whilst taking in all the new sights and sounds of the open topped enclosure that the rest of the family call home.
Simon added: ‘Black and white colobus are social primates and as such all the females in the group will share in the responsibilities of child care.
Adult black and white colobus have striking black pelts with a white mantel and long white tip to their tail however the young are born entirely white – their colouring will appear gradually as they mature.
‘These dramatic black and white pelts are still highly prized and hunting along with deforestation across their natural habitat of equatorial Africa, has resulted in a decline of numbers.’ Simon said.
Visitors to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park will be able to watch the infant grown and develop over half term and the rest of the year when they take advantage of the passport offer – the one day ticket that lasts all year. For the price of a standard ticket visitors can return an unlimited amount of times over a 12 month period.
