News release from the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo:
Colobus Monkey Baby Born at the Zoo
On exhibit for the first time today
(October 4, 2012) – The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is celebrating the birth of a baby black and white colobus monkey, the first to be born in 12 years at the zoo. The female baby was born on September 25.
The infant, named Kaasidy (pronounced KASS-i-dee), and her mother, Jibini, went outdoors into their exhibit for the first time late this morning in the African Journey. The baby’s father is named Finnigan.
Colobus (pronounced KAHL-uh-bus) babies are covered in white fur. At 2-3 months of age, they develop the deep black coat, shaggy white mantle, and tufted white tail typical of adult colobus monkeys.
Jibini is a first-time mother, so zoo keepers have been watching carefully to make certain she is caring for her baby.
For now, Kaasidy can be seen clinging to her mother’s belly, though in a few weeks she’ll begin to climb about. However, to protect the baby, the monkeys will only be allowed access to their outdoor exhibit when the outdoor temperature is above 60 degrees.
Colobus monkeys are native to Africa’s equatorial forests, where they spend nearly all of their time in trees feeding on fruits, leaves, and other vegetation. Some populations are threatened due to habitat loss and hunting for their dramatic black-and-white coat. To maintain a genetically healthy zoo population of colobus monkeys, they are cooperatively managed by the Species Survival Plan (SSP) program of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo closes for the season on Sunday, October 14. Portions of the zoo will be open during the Wild Zoo Halloween, which opens October 19, but the African Journey will not be open during the Wild Zoo Halloween.
About the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo
The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is northeast Indiana’s largest tourist attraction, hosting more than 500,000 guests annually. The zoo was voted Indiana’s #1 “Gotta-Do Summer Attraction” in 2012 and is consistently named one of the nation’s Top Ten Zoos for Kids by national media outlets.As a self-supporting facility, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo receives no tax dollars for operations. The zoo’s operations are funded by earned revenue and donations.
The zoo is open daily from 9 AM – 5 PM through October 14, 2012. Admission is $13.50 for adults; $10.50 for seniors age 60+; and $8.50 for children ages 2-14. Babies age 1 and under and Zoo Society Members are admitted free.
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