The Golden-bellied Capuchin is highly threatened with extinction. Münster Zoo houses the largest breeding group in Germany and the second largest in Europe!

On August 6^th and 11^th, the Zoo welcomed two new infants to their troop. This is an encouraging breeding success because Golden-bellied Capuchin are considered, by some, to be the most intelligent monkeys in South America, and they are currently classified as “Critically Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

A mere 194 Golden-bellied Capuchin live in 21 facilities throughout Europe. The Münster Zoo is home to 16 of the monkeys, making it the largest breeding group of Germany. The Zoo’s Capuchin troop is the second largest in Europe, behind La Vallée de Singes in France, which is home to 17 of the monkeys.

Photo Credits: Münster Zoo

The Golden-bellied Capuchin (Sapajus xanthosternos), also known as the Yellow-breasted or Buffy-headed Capuchin, is a species of New World monkey.

Although there are differences between individuals, as well as between the sexes and across age groups, S. xanthosternos is described as having a distinctive yellow to golden red chest, belly and upper arms. Its face is a light brown, and its cap, for which the capuchins were first named, is a dark brown/black or light brown.

Capuchins are diurnal and arboreal. With the exception of a midday nap, they spend their entire day searching for food. At night, they sleep in the trees, wedged between branches.

They feed on a vast range of food types and are more varied than other monkeys in the family Cebidae. They are omnivores, and consume a variety of plant parts such as leaves, flower and fruit, seeds, pith, woody tissue, sugarcane, bulb, and exudates, as well as arthropods, mollusks, a variety of vertebrates, and even primates.

Capuchin monkeys often live in large groups of 10 to 35 individuals within the forest, although they can easily adapt to places colonized by humans. Usually, a single male will dominate the group and have primary rights to mate with the females of their group. The stabilization of group dynamics is served through mutual grooming, and communication occurs between the monkeys through various calls.

Capuchins can jump up to nine feet (3 m), and they use this mode of transport to get from one tree to another. They remain hidden among forest vegetation for most of the day, sleeping on tree branches and descending to the ground to find drinking water.

Females generally bear young every two years, following a 160- to 180-day gestation. The young cling to their mother's chest until they are larger, when they move to her back. Adult male Capuchins rarely take part in caring for the young. Juveniles become fully mature within four years for females and eight years for males. In captivity, individuals have reached an age of 45 years, although natural life expectancy is only 15 to 25 years.

Populations of Golden-bellied Capuchin are restricted to the Atlantic forest of Southeastern Bahia, Brazil, due possibly to high degrees of interference from humans. Historically they probably would have inhabited the entire area east of, and north to, the Rio São Francisco.

The largest continuous area of forest in its known range, the Una Biological Reserve in Bahia, is estimated to contain a population of 185 individuals.

The main reason for the threat to this subspecies is the large-scale destruction of their habitat in eastern Brazil. The local coastal forests were cleared to a great extent and exist only in the form of small remnants. Another danger is the hunting. Within the last 50 years the total population of Golden-bellied Capuchin has gone back more than 80 percent. There are some groups in protected areas, but many of these deposits are too small. Therefore, a breeding program by the Brazilian government, in collaboration with the World of Zoos (WAZA), has been launched.

A Yellow-breasted Capuchin was born on May 17, at Zoo de la Palmyre, bringing the number living in the Zoo’s Monkey House to a total of ten.

The sex of the young Capuchin is yet unknown. Determining the sex requires being able to observe the infant closely, in the right position, which isn’t easy during the first weeks, as the baby spends a lot of time sleeping with its belly pressed against mother.

Photo Credits: F. Perroux/Zoo de la Palmyre

Capuchins are New World monkeys of the subfamily Cebinae. They are readily identified as the "organ-grinder" monkey, and were once very popular in movies and television. The range of Capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina. They usually occupy the wet lowland forests on Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and Panama and deciduous dry forest on the Pacific coast.

There are 22 different species of Capuchins in the wild. Yellow-breasted Capuchins (Cebus xanthosternos), also known as “Buff-headed Capuchin” or “Golden-bellied Capuchin”, are endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic forest and live in groups from 10 to 30 individuals. Males can exceed 4kg while females are smaller and weigh less than 3.5kg.

Their prehensile tail acts like a fifth limb and allows them to free their hands while foraging. But unlike the tail of Spider and Howler Monkeys, Capuchins cannot hang by their tail excepting young individuals helped by their lower weight.

Although their diet is mostly composed of fruits, Capuchins also consume eggs and small prey, such as lizards, insects, or birds.

The species is severely threatened by habitat loss, as a result of the massive ongoing deforestation throughout its range: about 92% of the original surface of the Brazilian Atlantic forest has already been destroyed. Captures for the illegal pet trade and hunting for food are also serious treats.

A baby Sulawesi Crested Macaque at the Chester Zoo is getting a lot of attention – from the other 15 members of the zoo’s Macaque troop, and from conservationists concerned with protecting this critically endangered species.

Born on May 29, the little Monkey clings to its mother Camilla as other Macaques gather around with intense interest in the baby.  So far, Camilla is proving to be a good mother, even though this baby is her first.

Photo Credit:  Chester Zoo
 
Found only on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, roughly 5,000 Sulawesi Crested Macaques remain in the island’s rain forests.  Despite its threatened status, this species is still hunted regularly as a pest because it destroys crops in search of food.  They are also hunted as bushmeat.  Large-scale destruction of forests has dramatically reduced available habitat for these fruit- and leaf-eating Macaques.

Sulawesi Crested Macaques also live on some smaller, less-populated islands near Sulawesi, where they enjoy less pressure from humans.  Six other macaque species live on Sulawesi, but this species is the most critically endangered.

This new baby is an important addition to European zoos' breeding program to preserve genetic diversity in endangered species. 

See more photos of the baby Macaque below.

A rare baby Sulawesi Crested Macaque, a species that’s critically endangered in the wild, is the latest arrival at Chester Zoo.

Keepers recently released the first pictures of the newborn monkey, which is being looked after by its mum Lisa after being born on April 17.

Sulawesi Crested Macaques are one of the world’s most endangered primates, and it’s estimated that fewer than 5,000 are left on their native island of Sulawesi in Indonesia.

The species is listed as “Critically Endangered” on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, largely because their habitat is disappearing due to illegal logging. They are also targets for poachers and are over-hunted for food as, in their homeland, macaques are considered a local delicacy and are served up on special occasions such as weddings. As a result, their wild numbers are believed to have plummeted by around 80% in the last 30 years.

Photo Credits: Chester Zoo

Dr. Nick Davis, the zoo’s assistant curator of mammals, said, “Our new arrival means we now have a group of 15 Sulawesi Crested Macaques. They’re a key part of a European endangered species breeding programme that is working to protect this charismatic species, which, sadly, is highly threatened in the wild.”

“Sulawesi Macaques are extremely intelligent and social animals, so a new arrival always creates excitement in the group. This is also the first baby to be fathered by dominant male Momassa, making it all the more special.”

Davis continued, “Macaques have very obvious individual personalities which can be seen in facial expressions, and so we’re looking forward to seeing what sort of character our tiny youngster will develop into. At the moment though, our new arrival will spend time playing and getting to know the rest of the group. We’re ever so pleased to say that both are doing very well so far.”

The new youngster, who is yet to be sexed or named, is the first of its kind to be born at Chester Zoo since its group of Sulawesi Macaques moved into their new state-of-the-art home. Islands (the UK’s biggest ever zoo development) showcases a vast array of threatened species from the region of South East Asia.

Johanna Rode-Margono, the zoo’s South East Asia conservation field programme officer, added, “It’s important to us that our new Islands zone, and the amazing species living in it, helps us to throw a spotlight on the conservation work that we’re doing out in the field to try and protect some of South East Asia’s most endangered animals.”

“We are working with the local people living in Sulawesi and providing support to help save the forests and the diverse animal species living there.”

Much more below the fold!

Two Golden Lion Tamarins born March 13 at France’s La Palmyre Zoo are part of a worldwide program aimed at boosting the wild population.

Golden Lion Tamarins were on the brink of extinction in their native Brazilian rain forest in the 1980s.  Between 1984 and 2001, a worldwide consortium of 43 zoos, including La Palmyre Zoo, translocated 146 individuals to Brazil to bolster the wild population.  Thanks to this program, there are now more than 3,000 Golden Lion Tamarins in the wild, with about 1,000 of these being descendants of the zoo-born translocated animals. 

Photo Credit:  F. Perroux/La Palmyre Zoo

Zoo-born Tamarins are still translocated occasionally to reinforce some wild populations.  The program also includes protection of the forest corridor that the Tamarins rely on for survival.

Without the translocation of zoo-born Tamarins, Golden Lion Tamarins might be extinct in the wild today.

These tiny Monkeys travel through the forests in small family groups, feeding on fruit, nectar, tree gum, and small animals. 

Golden Lion Tamarins weigh only one to two pounds as adults.  At birth, babies weight about 8-10% of their mothers’ body weight.   They are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

 

On December 9, at Apenheul Primate Park, in the Netherlands, a Panamanian Night Monkey was born. It has been six years since the park witnessed the birth of one of these small, nocturnal monkeys. The infant is doing well and can be seen with mom or riding its father’s back.

Apenheul has a special Night Monkey enclosure for all species with reversed circadian rhythms.

The Panamanian Night Monkey (Aotus zonalis), or Chocoan Night Monkey, is a species that was formerly considered a subspecies of the Gray-Bellied Night Monkey of the family Aotidae. It is native to Panama and Choco region of Colombia.

It is relatively small, with males weighing approximately 889 grams (31.4 oz) and females weighing about 916 grams (32.3 oz). The fur ranges from gray-brown to reddish-brown, and the belly is yellow.

Like other night monkeys, the Panamanian species has large eyes to accommodate its nocturnal lifestyle. But unlike many nocturnal animals, its eyes do not have a tapetum lucidum.

Arboreal and nocturnal, it is found in several types of forests, including secondary forests and coffee plantations. They live in small groups of between two and six. Groups are territorial and occupy ranges that overlap only slightly.

The species generally walks on all four legs and can run or leap when needed. They eat a variety of foods with a diet consisting of fruits, leaves, and insects.

The Panamanian Night Monkey is one of the few monogamous monkeys. A mating pair generally gives birth to a single infant each year, with twins occasionally. Gestation lasts about 133 days. The father will carry the infant from the time it is one or two days old, passing it to the mother for nursing.

According to the IUCN, major threats to the monkey are largely unknown, although deforestation is known to be taking place in parts of its home range. The species is known to occur in a number of protected areas of Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama.

The Panamanian Night Monkey is currently classified as “Data Deficient” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. There is currently no information available on the species’ status to know of any major threats that would significantly affect the population.

Born in May only a week apart at the Taronga Zoo, Squirrel Monkeys Carlos and Enrique are starting to develop their own personalities and are becoming more independent every day. 

Photo Credit: Lisa Ridley

According to keepers, Enrique has more confidence than Carlos.  This adventurous little Monkey spends more and more time away from his mother, Ayaca, and spends less time riding on the backs of other females in the troop.

Enrique can often be heard vocalizing to others when he is high up in the trees.  Carlos, on the other hand, still chooses to ride around on his mother Llosa's back or be carried by the other females.

Just recently, keepers have been seeing the two little Monkeys playing together.  Though they are starting to nibble on cucumbers, grapes, and leaves, both youngsters still nurse from their mothers, and will continue to do so for several more months.

Squirrel Monkeys are native to Central and South America, where they spend their days in the forest canopy in troops as large as 500 individuals. 

A group of Squirrel Monkeys new to Australia’s Taronga Zoo has already produced two energetic youngsters.  The troop leaps and climbs in the treetops of the zoo’s Amazonia exhibit. 

Photo Credit: Taronga Zoo 

Eleven females recently joined Taronga’s male, Chico, in the exhibit.  Eight weeks ago, two of the females gave birth to single babies. Taronga Zoo is part of the joint Australasian breeding program for Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys.

Over the next few months, the baby Squirrel Monkeys will cling to their mothers like tiny, furry backpacks until they are ready to start exploring on their own.

Squirrel Monkeys engage in alloparenting, in which other females assist the new mothers by carrying and grooming the infants. They are native to South America, where their rain forest habitat is threatened by illegal logging.

See more photos of the baby Squirrel Monkeys below.

Indiana’s Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo enjoyed a January baby boom when two Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys were born within two days of one another. 

“The fact that they were born within two days of each other was a big surprise,” said African Journey Area Manager Amber Eagleson.  “We were aware that both of the adult females were pregnant, but based on their size we anticipated that one mother would deliver a bit later than the other.  We never expected two infants at the same time!”

 

Photo Credit:  Fort Wayne Children's Zoo

Zoo keepers bestowed corresponding names on the little Monkeys:  the male is named Obi, which means “heart” in an African language, and the female is named Mchumba, which translates as “sweetheart.”

Keepers had to wait to name the infants until they could determine their genders.  Mchumba clung so tightly to her mom that there was no opportunity to determine gender for several weeks after birth. The babies are half-siblings – they were born to different mothers and share the same father. 

Colobus Monkeys begin life with all-white fur.  At three or four months of age, they develop the dramatic black and white coat that characterizes the adult Monkeys.  Colobus are unusual among Monkeys because they have a three-chambered stomach, which helps digest the fibrous leaves they consume in the wild.  

Colobus Monkeys live in the rain forests of central and eastern Africa, and their survival in the wild is threatened by habitat destruction.  The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo participates in the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan to ensure genetically healthy populations of endangered and threatened animals.

The Houston Zoo welcomed a Pygmy Marmoset, born July 27. The baby, whose sex is still unknown, was born to veteran parents Oko and Per. The baby is born to an already large family with 3 older brothers and 1 older sister. While it will spend most of its time riding on the back of its dad or brother, everyone in the family will take a turn in helping to care for the little one.

Pygmy Marmosets are generally born in pairs, but "singlets" such as this are not uncommon. Singlets tend to be larger that babies born in pairs, and this baby is no exception. It already weights .08 pounds (36 grams), which is huge in comparison to most baby pygmy marmosets. Interestingly enough, the baby is weighed by weighing both dad and the baby, then subtracting dad's weight.

Pygmy Marmosets are the world's smallest true monkeys. They live in rainforests of the Amazon Basin of South America. They are currently threatened by habitat loss as well as pet trade.

Photo Credits: Photos 1,2,3,6  Abby Valera/Houston Zoo; Photos 4,5 Dale Martin/Houston Zoo

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