The Bronx Zoo has an adorable new arrival!
A baby Angolan colobus monkey was born earlier this month in the zoo’s Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit, and it’s now out in the habitat with its troop.
The baby’s gender is yet to be determined, and no, it’s not an albino — colobus monkeys are white at birth, and acquire their lustrous mane of black and white fur at about three months old.
The zoo’s troop is now made up of six monkeys: two males and three females, who share caretaking duties for the little one.
Small and slim, colobus monkeys live high in the trees of thick jungles in northern Angola and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Unlike other monkey species, the colobus do not have thumbs. But they make up for it with their long tails, which help them balance while searching for fruits and seeds among the branches.
Though the colobus monkey is not threatened with extinction, its habitat is being eroded because of deforestation and agriculture, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Want to see the munchkin in person? The Bronx Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and until 5:30 p.m. on weekends through October; from November through March, closing time is 4:30 p.m. Adult general admission is $19.95, children (3-12) are $12.95, and seniors are $17.95.
While you’re thinking wistfully about swinging through the trees yourself, the Bronx Zoo just opened its Treetop Adventure with a zipline over the Bronx River and seven ropes courses.
For more information, visit the Bronx Zoo’s website or call 718-367-1010.
