Ghostly baby monkey arrives in time for Halloween
Friday 26 October 2012
Measuring only six inches tall, and covered in shocking white hair, ZSL London Zoo’s ghostly new baby has arrived just in time for Halloween.
© Sheila Smith
Keepers at the Zoo were thrilled when mum Niammey and dad Radius, a pair of eastern black and white colobus monkeys, welcomed the new arrival last week.
Standing out like a beacon against his parent’s dark hair, the youngster spends most of his day clinging tightly on to mum; and keepers have named him Maxilla - the name of the jawbone – to fit with the trend of naming males in the group after parts of the skeleton.
Born with white hair all over the body, Maxilla’s features will get darker with age, and he’ll soon resemble mum and dad with their distinctive monochrome colouring.
Zookeeper Kathryn Sanders said: “Maxilla is a very cute new arrival at ZSL London Zoo who is also an exciting addition to the European breeding programme for eastern black and white colobus monkeys.
“His bright white hair makes him look quite ghostly at the moment, but his hair will soon darken so that he won’t stick out quite so much against mum’s fur.”
Visitors can see ghostly Maxilla, and his family at ZSL London Zoo this Halloween half term.
(C) Sheila Smith
