Akinya, a baby Eastern black and white colobus monkey. (Image: Alan Campbell)
Belfast Zoo is delighted to announce the birth of an Eastern black and white colobus monkey, Akinya, meaning ‘born in the morning’.
The latest arrival was born to parents Zola and Zulu, on the 17th October 2024.
Colobus babies are born pure white and gradually change to their adult colour as they get older. New-born 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.
There is an extremely successful family group of colobus monkeys at Belfast Zoo with 53 Colobus monkeys born over the years. This is the 4th baby for experienced dad Zulu and 5th for mum Zola.
Eastern black-and-white colobus facts
• Colobus monkeys spend most of their time sitting in the tops of trees but also feed and travel on the ground.
• Females invite males to mate by lip smacking.
• Babies are pure white for the first few weeks of life and later develop their black and white coats.
• The name 'colobus' means 'he cut short' and refers to the species' stumpy thumb.
• Colobus monkeys are herbivores and live high up in the canopy. They live in small groups with one male and a number of females and their offspring
Visitors to the zoo can catch a glimpse of the new baby in the monkey house!