A baby Angolan colobus has joined the troop at the San Diego Zoo’s Lost Forest habitat. The baby was born on the 21st of November.
The young monkey is the 20th offspring for her mother who is called Lulu. Her name means pearl in Swahili. Lulu has now given birth to four generations of offspring in her 29 years on earth. At this age she is the oldest Angolan colobus to give birth ever. In her lifetime she has had 20 infants.
Currently the little monkey is all white making her look a bit like a ghost. This makes it easier for the rest of the group to recognise her amongst the black fur of the adults.
This is especially helpful as these monkeys practice alloparenting, a process where the entire troop is involved in caring for the infant. As this young monkey grows up she will be passed around amongst the troop members so they can care for her.
Angolan colobus are also known as leaf eating monkeys by some as they have a stomach which is divided into sections like a cow so they can digest cellulose, a component of leaves.
Over the next 6 months the colobus’ colour will change to black making her look like a smaller copy of the adults in the group.
Photo Credit: San Diego Zoo/ Ken Bohn
