Oku, Black-and-white Colobus Monkey

The black-and-white colobus monkey family at Helen Brach Primate House has a new member! The zoo is excited to welcome Oku, a 9-year-old monkey from Philadelphia Zoo, who will join female Kutaka and her offspring Nola, Zinga, and Kean in their habitat.

Oku’s transfer here is a recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Guereza Colobus Monkey Species Survival Plan®; he is recommended for breeding with 5-year-old Nola. This primate species is native to east and central Africa and lives in lowland rain, coastal, mountainous, and gallery forests that lie along rivers and wetlands.

Colobus monkeys are leaf-eaters. They have a complex stomach with four chambers, including a foregut, which allows them to ferment and detoxify plant material within their bodies. These primates are distinctively marked with a U-shaped mantle of white fur, which is much longer than the fur on the rest of their body. Some researchers believe the long fur acts like a parachute when the monkeys leap through trees, helping them make lengthy horizontal jumps without losing much height. They also have tails that are longer than their bodies.

Oku can be distinguished from the other colobus monkeys by his loud roar and magnificent tail. He may be seen displaying in the habitat as he starts to become more familiar with his surroundings and marks his territory. Next time you visit, look for frequent interactions between Oku and Kean, a juvenile male, as they engage in social grooming sessions. You may also see them with willow or mulberry browse, donated by ComEd and sourced from trees that have been trimmed because they stand near power lines.