Belfast Zoo has today announced the birth of an Eastern black and white Colobus monkey, who they've named Akinya, meaning ‘born in the morning’. The new arrival was born to parents Zola and Zulu, on October 17, 2024.
Colobus babies are born pure white and gradually change to their adult colour as they get older. Newborn colobus monkeys are closely looked after by the group, and for that reason, keepers do not yet know the sex of the baby yet. The mother is assisted by other members of the group in the day to day caring for the baby, as this offers younger members an opportunity to practice caring for a baby.
Zoo manager, Alyn Cairns said, “After the birth of three colobus monkeys in September 2023 we are delighted to welcome another baby to the group. Parents and baby are doing extremely well. The baby has learned to hold onto mums’ fur as the explore the habitat together. Our adults have been working together to raise the babies.
"This style of parenting is called ‘alloparenting’. This allows mum to pass on her experience to younger female members of the group. You will often see younger sisters carrying the baby which gives them experience to be successful mothers as they get older.
"This species was once subjected to intense hunting due to its exquisite fur. Currently, the primary danger facing the colobus is the loss of its habitat. As human populations continue to grow and expand, forests are being cleared to accommodate agriculture, urban development, and infrastructure. Consequently, they are swiftly losing their natural habitats because of unsustainable development practices."
He added: "We have an extremely successful family group of colobus monkeys. Belfast Zoo has had 53 Colobus monkeys born over the years. This is the 4 th baby for experienced dad Zulu and 5 th for mum Zola."
Visitors to the Zoo can catch a glimpse of the new baby in the monkey house.
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