Chicago has a tiny new neighbor to welcome. In the early morning hours of September 24, 7-year-old black-and-white colobus monkey Nola gave birth to a baby boy at Lincoln Park Zoo, the zoo announced on October 1. It is Nola’s first baby, with 11-year-old Oku as the father, and both mother and newborn have been doing well under the close watch of the zoo’s animal care and veterinary teams — and of the rest of the troop, who are very curious about the new arrival.
The baby joins a true family group at the Helen Brach Primate House. Living alongside mom and dad are maternal grandma Kutaka, age 22, and Nola’s siblings, 3-year-old Kean and 4-year-old Zinga. Curator Dani Fogarty said Nola is already proving to be a great mom, and noted that other females in the troop often develop their own parenting skills by helping with a baby, which is common for colobus monkeys.
Families visiting the zoo may spot the little one on view intermittently — and he is easy to find. Unlike the mostly black adults, the newborn has bright white hair and a pink face, coloring that helps parents keep track of him among the troop. His coat will gradually change, reaching adult coloration at around six months, so these first months are a special window to see him.
Black-and-white colobus monkeys come from the forests of central Africa, where they spend most of their lives in the trees and travel in close family groups of up to 15. Adults are known for their glossy black coats, white face-framing hair and long white tails. This birth is part of the Colobus Guereza Species Survival Plan, a collaborative effort among Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions to keep the population healthy. Visitors who want to help care for mom and baby all year can learn about adopting a colobus monkey on the zoo’s website.
Photo: Lincoln Park Zoo
