Bright orange leaf monkey born at Australian zoo
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E-mail China.org.cn, November 27, 2015
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Nangua, Taronga's new Francois' Langur baby [Photo/Taronga Zoo] |
A bright orange Francois' Langur, one of the world's rarest monkeys, was born at the Taronga Zoo in Australia.
The male infant, who keepers have named "Nangua" after the Mandarin word for pumpkin, was discovered cradled in mother Meili's arms on Nov. 7.
Also known as Francois' leaf monkeys, Langurs are born with bright orange hair while their parents are black in colour. It is thought this colour distinction makes it easier for adults to identify and look after infants.
Senior primate keeper, Jane Marshall said Nangua was already receiving lots of attention from his mother and the harem group's other females, Noel and Elke.
"Meili has shown her calmness and experience since the birth, cradling and protecting the baby, but also allowing Noel and Elke to get close to him," said Jane.
The infant is the second for Meili at Taronga, following the birth of a male named Tam Dao in 2011, and the first for father Bobo. Taronga's dominant male arrived in Sydney from Beijing Zoo in 2010, as part of the international breeding program for his endangered species.
"Bobo is a little bit overwhelmed, but he's doing really well. He's protective of Meili and he'll even let the baby climb onto him. I saw the baby climb up over his head the other day and he wasn't worried at all," said Jane.
Once widespread in China and Vietnam, Francois' Langurs have become one of the world's rarest monkeys due to habitat loss and poaching for traditional medicines.
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