Blue-eyed baby monkey born
Tuesday 20 March 2012
Endangered monkey born at ZSL London Zoo...
© ZSL
Measuring only five inches tall, with piercing blue eyes, ZSL London Zoo’s newest baby has arrived just in time for Mothers’ Day. Keepers at the Zoo were delighted when mum Wino (pronounced Win-oo), and dad Gaston, a pair of endangered Sulawesi crested macaques, welcomed the mini-monkey last month.
The baby boy is already starting to show signs of independence, and his keepers have named him Wira, which translates as hero in Indonesian, to reflect his feisty personality.
Zookeeper Kathryn Sanders said: “Blue-eyed baby Wira is an adorable new member of the macaque group here at ZSL London Zoo, and mum Wino is doting on her baby. Big sisters Snazzy and Maluku are helping out with babysitting duties, so I’m sure Wino will get a bit of a lie-in on Mother’s Day.”
Born with bright blue eyes and pale skin, Wira’s features will get darker with age, his eyes will turn brown and he’ll also develop the macaque’s iconic crest of hair on his head. Baby Wira is an important addition to the European breeding programme for endangered species (EEP) as Sulawesi crested macaques are under constant threat in the wild from habitat loss and poaching.
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