Dudley Zoological Gardens would like to introduce the newest member of their Gelada troop!

The little male was born on March 6 to eleven-year-old mum, Jimma, and 14-year-old dad, Ebano. According to keepers, this is the sixth Gelada to be born at the Zoo since 2014.

Senior Keeper, Jodie Dryden, said, “This is Jimma’s second baby, so she’s already an experienced mum and the newborn looks to be thriving!”

Photo Credits: Dudley Zoological Gardens

The new little boy has been given the name “Jinka.” The name is inspired by a market town in southern Ethiopia – the native homeland of the species. Keeper, Stephanie Ballard, was the first to find the newborn and gave the infant the moniker.

Section Leader, Jodie Dryden, shared, “We let Stephanie choose his name as it was her first ever zoo baby discovery, so he’s extra special!”

“And Jinka’s perfect, as it’s also a town near Jimma, which is his mum’s name. She’s still keeping a close hold of Jinka at the moment, but the other youngsters are beginning to get more inquisitive around him, although it won’t be long until he’s also gamboling around the bank with them all.”

The troop at Dudley is part of a European Endangered Species Programme. Prior to the latest birth, they had four juvenile boys: Billie, Ambo, Gimbi and Dendi, as well as Kadida, their only little girl. Ebano is father to all of the juveniles in the troop.

Jimma is joined by fellow adult females: Tana and Addis (who also both have two offspring each).

Gestation for Gelada’s is usually around six months. Mothers will carry the baby on their stomach for the first few weeks before transferring it to their back. The youngster will begin to gain more independence around five-months-old.

The Gelada (Theropithecus gelada), sometimes called the bleeding-heart monkey or the gelada baboon, is a species found in the Ethiopian Highlands. It is largely terrestrial, spending much of its time foraging in grasslands.