Get ready for maximum cuteness in Atlanta! Zoo Atlanta has a brand-new resident: a tiny Schmidt’s guenon infant, born on August 6 in the Ford African Rain Forest. Mom is Bam, an experienced mother who is keeping her little one close — the baby is strong, healthy, and clinging tightly to her.
This birth is extra special: it’s the first offspring for Bam and Nafis, one of the Zoo’s newer residents, who joined the troop in November 2025. Their pairing was recommended by an Association of Zoos and Aquariums program to help keep the Schmidt’s guenon population thriving in accredited zoos across the country.
Visitors can spot the newborn cuddled up with Bam in the outdoor habitat, alongside dad Nafis, Bam’s son Jack and daughter Flynn, and their Angolan colobus monkey neighbors in a lively mixed-species home. Also known as red-tailed monkeys, Schmidt’s guenons hail from the rainforests of middle Africa and are instantly recognizable by their sweet heart-shaped noses, greyish-blue coloring around the eyes, puffy cheek pouches, and long chestnut tails that can stretch up to 35 inches.
While this species is currently stable in the wild, it faces growing threats like deforestation and the illegal bushmeat trade — and every new birth helps Zoo Atlanta share the story of Africa’s rainforests with the next generation of conservationists. Plan your visit at zooatlanta.org and keep an eye out for Bam’s tiny new bundle of joy!
Photo: Zoo Atlanta
