Spider Monkey Infants Join Taronga Western Plains Zoo Family

The spider monkey troop at Taronga Western Plains Zoo have welcomed three boisterous new additions to the family on spider monkey island located at the zoo entrance.

Mothers Rosa, Hiccups and Jai have welcomed their infants with a few months of each other. All are females and guests can now see them thriving as they learn to eat, play and climb on the Primate Islands. Keepers are yet to decide on names for the infants but have whittled it down to a shortlist of South American inspired names.

“It’s really exciting to have three new babies, and to see the whole troop pitching in, it’s a real family affair,” said Primate Keeper Sasha Brook.

“Hiccups has always been a really good aunty to the other babies we’ve had in the troop, but hasn’t had offspring herself for a really long time, so it’s really nice to see her having a baby of her own.”

“The eldest of these babies in particular has been getting more and more adventurous, venturing away from mum, interacting with her keepers, experimenting with eating solid foods and even clambering over other monkeys. It’s really cute to see!”

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list the spider monkey as endangered due to a range of threats.

“Spider Monkeys are critically endangered thanks to factors like habitat loss, hunting and the pet trade, so breeding programs like ours are crucial,” Sasha said.

Guests visiting Taronga Western Plains Zoo can view the spider monkey infants from the viewing area at the entrance or for the more adventorous explorers you can hire a paddle boat to explore the Savannah Lake.