On Saturday, a rare King Colobus monkey was born to Ivy (the proud mother) and Martin (the father). The spokesperson said that the baby has yet to be named. Martin, 2002), and Ivy, 1997) had their fourth child on October 3, 2012.. All three can be seen in the video at end of article. This is the fifth baby. The King Colobus monkeys were born white and develop black markings in about four weeks. Names are not given to the King Colobus infant. The spokesperson said that the new King Colobus infant is crucial because there are only six European collections which hold it. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the species as endangered. Habitat destruction and hunting for food are the main threats to the species. About King Colobus: The King Colobus (Colobus Polykomos), also called the Western Black-and-White Colobus is an Old World monkey. Paignton Zoo states that King Colobus’ gestation time is approximately six months. The babies are less than one kilogram in weight. Ivy is the fifth child. The majority of their lives are spent on the trees and they eat leaves a lot. However, they will also eat fruits and vegetables. Because leaves are low in food value, King Colobus spends most of his day eating them. They ferment the leaves and then digest them in large, unusually large stomachs. Each has four fingers that can grasp branches with hooks. They don’t use their thumb to hold onto objects. You will find them in the West African mountain and lowland rainforests, which stretch from Cote d’Ivoire to Gambia. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has designated the species as “Vulnerable”. Hunting for food and habitat loss are the main threats to this species. They are protected by the Engangered Species Programme at European zoos. Video of King Colobus monkeys in Paignton Zoo. This 2013 clip shows Martin and Ivy with their fourth child.
Paignton Zoo, Devon, England, birth of endangered King Colobus monkey
