This new birth of the white-crowned mangabey is encouraging for the international conservation program for this species in which the Bioparc Valencia participates and which is fighting to guarantee its survival. The people who were in the place showed their astonishment and enthusiasm when contemplating the extraordinary event.

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There's a lot of excitement at the Dublin Zoo's primate department. Two White Crowned Mangabeys were born just two weeks apart, one male and one female.  On April 5, expectant mother Malull gave birth to a male who the keepers named Jomoro, after the western region of Ghana, home to a majority of the world’s population of this rare species. Ten days later, mother Mangabey Monifa gave birth to a female who the keepers named Awiane, the capital of the Jomoro district. The half brother and sister were both sired by the dominant male Danzo.

White Crowned Mangabeys are Endangered in the wild and their numbers are rapidly declining. Dublin Zoo is one of twelve zoos in Europe participating in a breeding program and has a very successful breeding record.

Photo Credit: Dublin Zoo

Helen Clarke-Bennet, team leader of the African Plains exhibit says, “We’re delighted with the arrival of two Mangabeys, which brings the Dublin Zoo troop of these elegant monkeys up to eight. Jomoro and Awiane are thriving and get on very well as brother and sister. It’s a joy to watch them being playful together.

The new arrivals can be seen out and about with their family in the African Plains today.

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The zoo at Paris' Museum of Natural History, called The Menagerie, just announced the birth of a tiny male White-collared Mangabey. Born on March 5th, baby "Loango" was rejected by his birth mother. Keepers at The Menagerie stepped in to hand-rear the newborn and so far he is doing extremely well. The visiting public can see Loango at feeding times eating cooked veggies and fresh fruits and taking milk from a bottle. Loango represents a very rare captive birth for an endangered species, which is the subject of a European breeding program (EEP). The playful and mischievous monkey will remain in constant visual contact with his family until he is ready to join them in a few weeks.

Photo credit: Jérôme Munier / MNHN

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A Cherry-crowned Mangabey has been born at Paignton Zoo. On October 21, mother Kibibi and father Yengo welcomed the little male, who has yet to be named. The arrival brings the Zoo’s troop up to six - two males and four females. 

Head Keeper Andrew Fry said: “It’s a family group - mom, dad, sister, granny, aunty and baby. This is the second time they have bred with us - his older sister was born here last summer.”

Andy added: “This is one of my favourite species to work with. They are great fun but they can be very challenging. They have an inquisitive nature and great strength - they like to test things to destruction! We can’t, for example, given them the big plastic buoys that we sometimes give to other animals to play with, as they can shred them with their large canines. They enjoy food-based and sensory enrichment – cardboard tubes and paper sacks with scents on them.”

Named for the patch of red hair on their heads, Cherry-crowned mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus) are African forest monkeys. Their range includes the Omo Forest in Nigeria where Paignton Zoo funds environmental education work.

The species is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, mainly due to habitat destruction and the bush meat trade. The Zoo’s troop can be found in the Monkey Heights complex.

Photo Credit: Ray Wiltshire

Binder Park Zoo is proud to announce another addition to its family.  On November 9, 2010, in the wee hours of the morning, a baby Red-capped Mangabey monkey was born.  This is Binder Park Zoo’s first birth of this species since it began exhibiting them in 1999 with the opening of Wild Africa. “The zoo has been working diligently with AZA (American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) for ten years to bring together a pair of animals that would have all the right attributes for a successful breeding” said Jenny Barnett, Director of Wildlife Management Conservation and Education.  The mother is a 4 year old that was brought in from the Denver Zoo in late 2009, and the father, a 20 year old male, was brought in from the Houston Zoo in 2000.

Photo credits: Rebecca Bolen / Binder Park Zoo

A male White-collared Mangabey monkey was born at Rome's Bioparco Zoo on November 7th to mother Ashante and father Mongomo. Unfortunately, Ashante was not able to care for the new arrival and keepers discovered him clinging to his maternal grandmother Jasmine. After careful analysis of the possibility to reintegrate the tiny baby with his parents, keepers decided to begin hand rearing the infant until it becomes stable enough to join to the group. Rome's Bioparc participates in the European Program of Captive Breeding for Endangered Species (EEP). The White-collared Mangabey is one of a list of 25 primate species most threatened with extinction in the world due to habitat destruction and poaching.

Photo and video credits: M. Di Giovanni / Archivio Bioparco

At only three weeks old, Conchita, a tiny critically endangered monkey born at ZSL London Zoo is already a beacon of hope for her species.

With only a few white-naped mangabey monkeys left struggling for survival in the wild after deforestation and hunting has decimated their populations, each individual monkey is incredibly precious. Conchita is only the second white-naped mangabey ever born in the UK.

Continue reading to learn more about Conchita and her species' plight.