The Columbian black spider monkey was delivered on March 4th and is the third baby born to parents Norma and Pinky as part of the European endangered breeding programme.
The breed is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's critically endangered list due to hunting, habitat destruction and a long birth cycle with females only giving birth every two to three years.
Fota Wildlife Park is calling on the public to help name the new arrival.
Teresa Power, Lead Ranger said they are delighted to announce the birth of any critically endangered animal:
"It helps us raise awareness about species loss in the wild and the conservation work here at Fota. European wildlife parks and zoos run cooperative breeding programmes as a demographic and genetic backup to wild populations. We don't know yet if the baby is a boy or a girl, but there are two big sisters already in the group, Guadalupe, born in 2017 and Blinky, born in 2020. The new baby has been nibbling at fruit and veg and is becoming more active around the recently upgraded Spider monkey enclosure."
** Announcing** new critically endangered Columbian black spider monkey baby, born on the 4th of March, to Norma and Pinky. This is their third baby together. We’re asking for your help in naming the baby - entries via https://t.co/6k4IiOeuzo
Images @DKanePhoto #Conservation pic.twitter.com/1pwpdq4DAS— Fota Wildlife Park (@fotawildlife) May 13, 2022
