ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The Saint Louis Zoo is celebrating the birth of a female Guereza colobus monkey.
Juniper, is the 10th successful colobus birth at the Saint Louis Zoo since 2011, all part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Colobus Species Survival Plan to breed program the species in North American zoos.
She was born on April 8 and her mom, 21-year-old Cecelia, is an experienced mother of six. Juniper shares a theme of tree-related names with some of her siblings, such as Willow, Hawthorn and Teak.
Juniper and her whole family can be seen now at the Primate House.
“The new baby adds so much to the dynamics of the colobus group,” said John Velasco, Primate Keeper, Saint Louis Zoo. “One-year-old Teak, previously the youngest in the group, is gaining more independence from the comfort of his mother, Cecelia, now that she’s also caring for an infant. The others in the group are learning how to care for a baby, as they mimic behaviors of mom and older female siblings, Binti and Willow.”
The Guereza colobus monkey can be found throughout the forests of central Africa. Although fairly abundant in the wild, this species is increasingly threatened by deforestation for timber and loss of habitat to plantations and agricultural land, as well as illegal hunting. People can help protect the colobus monkey and other wildlife with some simple steps: reduce, reuse, recycle — in that order; use Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified wood and paper products, and use rainforest-friendly coffee, such as Rainforest Alliance Certified.
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