Cork's Fota Island Wildlife Park inviting public to help name baby colobus monkey  

CORK'S Fota Wildlife Park has announced the birth of a black-and-white colobus monkey, born on January 8 to mother Kimani and father Tom.

Lead ranger Teresa Power said that the baby, whose gender is still unknown: “Is white in colour, at the moment, but its coat will change to black and white, just like the adults, as it matures.

“We now have a few babies in this group, as this youngster joins two older sisters and a half-brother, Colin, who was born to mum Freya last year. Our visitors can see Colin is getting more independent from Freya each day," said Ms  Power.

“Aunties and big sisters have been observed sharing babysitting duties, ensuring that Kimani gets a well-deserved break as she tends to her newborn. The new baby colobus monkeys are showing a natural curiosity towards our resident meerkat mob, often sitting closely with them on the ground, showcasing the vibrant and interconnected ecosystem of Fota Wildlife Park,” Ms Power added.

Suggestions

The public are being asked to make suggestions for a name at https://www.fotawildlife.ie/news and be in with a chance to win a conservation annual pass.

A colobus, about 30 inches in length and 15-30 pounds in weight, is a distinctive-looking monkey with its long, black-and-white fur. ‘Colobus’ derives from the Greek word ‘mutilated’, because this species has a stump in place of a thumb.

Although listed as ‘least concern’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the black-and-white colobus has been hunted for centuries for its unique pelt and coat, and is also threatened by agriculture and timber production in its habitats. 

Visitors can see the colobus monkey family through the viewing window of their house or as they frolic outside.

Fota Wildlife Park is open daily from 9.30am, and animal feeding will recommence daily from Saturday, March 16 and run until the October mid-term break, with the schedule available at https://www.fotawildlife.ie/list-events.