Baby red-tailed monkey born at Zoo Atlanta

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Schmidt’s monkey child with his mother Bam. (Atlanta Zoo)

ATLANTA – Meet the newest little addition to Zoo Atlanta.

Bam, one of the zoo’s Schmidt’s guenon monkeys, gave birth to a baby on June 1.

The infant is the second baby for Bam and his father JJ, who were matched by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan to increase the species’ population.

Guenons, also known as red-tailed monkeys, live in the rainforests, forests, deciduous forests and swamps of central Africa and are known for their large cheek pouches which they use for storing food while foraging.

The species has a brown-colored tail that can grow to nearly 3 feet long and features a heart-shaped nose and distinctive grayish-blue coloring around the eyes.

Although the wild population of Schmidt’s monkey is stable, it suffers from habitat loss due to deforestation and is the target of hunters looking for bushmeat. The baby’s father was orphaned in the wild after a hunter killed his mother.

“Zoo Atlanta is thrilled to welcome Schmidt’s baby monkey. Unlike many other African rainforest animals, Schmidt’s monkeys are not currently listed as threatened, but the challenges they face in the nature are the same as those encountered by other species,” said Gina Ferrie. , PhD, vice president of collections and conservation at the zoo. “We can’t wait to watch this baby grow and help us tell this story, and we’re excited to have this new person supporting AZA’s growing population.”

Visitors will be able to see the baby and his brother Flynn at the zoo’s Makokou Monkey Complex in the Ford African Rainforest.