A rare King Colobus monkey was born on Saturday to proud parents Ivy and Martin at Paignton Zoo in Devon, England. A spokesperson for the zoo said the infant has not yet been named.
Martin (born 2002) and Ivy (born 1997) previously had a baby, their fourth, on October 3rd, 2012. You can see all three in a video at the end of this article. So, this latest addition is baby number five.
King Colobus monkeys are born pure white, and eventually develop their distinctive black markings after about four weeks.
The King Colobus infant does not yet have a name.
A spokesperson for the zoo said:
“The new arrival is important, as there are only six collections in Europe holding King colobus.
“The species is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as vulnerable. It is threatened by habitat destruction and hunting for food.”
About the King Colobus
The King Colobus (Colobus polykomos), also known as the Western Black-and-White Colobus, is a species of Old World monkey.
According to Paignton Zoo, the gestation period for King colobus is about six months. Babies are born weighing less than 1 kilogram.
This is Ivy’s fifth baby.
They live most of their lives on trees, and eat mainly leaves, but will also consume fruits and flowers. As leaves have a low food value King Colobus spend most of their day eating. The leaves are fermented and digested in their unusually large stomachs.
They have four long fingers on each hand that grasp branches like hooks. The thumb, which is just a tiny bump, is not used holding onto things.
They are found in mountain and lowland rain forests in West Africa, in a region stretching from Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to Gambia.
The species is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as ‘Vulnerable’. It is threatened by hunting for food and habitat destruction. There is a European zoo’s Engangered Species Programme to protect them.
Video – King Colobus monkeys at Paignton Zoo
This 2013 video shows Ivy and Martin with their fourth baby.