Guests who visit the Newquay Zoo now have a new monkey to go bananas over, thanks to one growing primate household.
In October, the U.K. conservation center welcomed a new arrival within a small family of white-throated capuchins, led by father Zaito and mom Irazu, who previously welcomed Benito to the world in 2017.
Not yet named, the cute, fresh-faced addition to the zoo will get around during their first three months by using mom for piggyback rides. After growing out of this clingy stage, the little monkey will be old enough to do its own adventuring.
“Mom and baby are doing very well. This is her second baby so she knows what she’s doing,” Dave Rich, head keeper at the zoo, told PEOPLE in a statement. “We don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, as at this age they will cling tightly to mum. However, when it becomes a bit more independent we will be able to sex it.”
Capuchin babies are known to mature slowly, according to the zoo, and they are usually taken care of by their moms — who carry, protect and feed them — during the first few years of their lives.
Native to the tropical forests of Central and South America, these intelligent monkeys are named for their unique fur colorings, according to the New England Primate Conservancy, and mothers typically have a five- to six-month gestation period.
Newquay Zoo, which cares for more than 130 different species from around the world, has had a busy breeding year across the board. Its staff recently welcomed a newborn black wildebeest, crowned lemur and an Owston’s civet kitten, which was hand-reared by keepers — a first-time feat, according to the zoo.
Source: Read Full Article