Black-and-white Colobus Monkey

The zoo is celebrating a tiny new arrival! On Saturday, December 3, a male black-and-white colobus monkey was born to dam Kutaka as a recommendation by the Guereza Colobus Species Survival Plan®. The youngster joins his mother and siblings Nola and Zinga in the viewable habitat at Helen Brach Primate House. The infant’s sire, Keanjaha, passed away in August.

Newborn black-and-white colobus monkeys are white at birth, but start to change color to match their parents at around six weeks of age. Adults have a black coat and a white framed face, plus a long white fur fringe that starts from their shoulders and runs along their sides and back. They also have white fur at the ends of their tails.

Black-and-white colobus monkeys are a leaf-eating primate species from equatorial Africa that inhabits tree canopies in rainforests. At the zoo, their habitat includes a large amount of vertical space, thanks to high platforms and branches where they can access pulley feeders. These feeders contain leafy greens and browse and are positioned in an area of the habitat they most often use.

The colobus monkeys share their space with the Allen’s swamp monkeys, and the two species are currently splitting their time inside the habitat so that the colobus troop is able to settle into a routine with the new arrival.

So far, the young monkey is meeting important milestones — and he has a name! He will be called Kean, in honor of his father. Animal Care staff are closely monitoring both mother and infant to make sure both receive the best in care, as always. Come by and say hello to the colobus family, now including a new little one, next time you’re at the zoo!