New Arrival: Black-and-white Colobus Monkey Infant

Lincoln Park Zoo is pleased to announce a cute new black-and-white colobus monkey arrival! In the early morning hours of September 24, 7-year-old Nola, a first-time mom, gave birth to a healthy male infant. Both mom and newborn are doing well and are being closely monitored by care staff.

The father is 11-year-old sire Oku, who arrived at the zoo in 2024. This birth is the result of a recommendation by the Guereza Colobus Species Survival Plan®. All three remain with the colobus monkey family troop, who are paying plenty of attention to the new arrival.

Adult colobus monkeys look striking as a result of their black coat, white-framed face, and a long white fur fringe that runs from their shoulder along their sides and back in a U-shape. They also have white fur at the ends of their tails, which are longer than their bodies. Newborns are easy to see and identify within their family groups because they are pure white at birth. This young monkey will start to change color to more closely match his parents starting at around six weeks of age; he will get his adult coloration over the next six months.

Black-and white colobus monkeys are leaf-eaters from equatorial Africa, living in rainforest free canopies. They are great jumpers, and some researchers believe the long fur can act like a parachute as the monkeys leap through trees, making it easier for them to make long horizontal jumps without losing height.

These Old-World primates have a complex stomach with four chambers, including a foregut, which allows them to ferment and detoxify plant material within their bodies. They live in small, highly cohesive family groups that usually consist of a male, multiple females, and their offspring, and may include up to 15 individuals. Their gestation period is between four and six months, and females can give birth to one infant at a time every 20 months or so. They reach maturity and age 6 for males and age 4 for females. This monkey species is considered at lower risk of extinction, but does face threats from deforestation, loss of habitat, and illegal hunting.

The as-yet-unnamed zoo baby joins a troop that includes 22-year-old grandma Kutaka and some of her offspring: 3-year-old Kean, 4-year-old Zinga, and 7-year-old Nola. As Animal Care staff continues to monitor the new mom to ensure she is comfortable and well-nourished, this may require asking the troop to spend time behind the scenes. However, you will have the chance to see them intermittently in their habitat at Helen Brach Primate House while you’re here for Fall Fest!