SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 9, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — The Hogle Zoo colobuses have welcomed a new member to the troop.
On March 30, a healthy baby boy was born to Violet, 11, and Sefu, 17. He is the third offspring of the pair, introduced in 2017.
The troop’s new member, as yet unnamed, will get lots of attention due to the breed behavior of alloparenting: females in the troop share in the care of infants. Alloparenting allows young female colobus monkeys without babies to observe and practice maternal care.
Colobus monkeys are born with white fur that transitions to their adult black-and-white coloration as they mature, a Hogle Zoo announcement says.
In their native Africa, colobus monkeys are very arboreal, meaning they are among the least likely to leave the trees.
“The name ‘colobus’ is derived from the Greek word for ‘mutilated,’ because unlike other monkeys, colobus monkeys do not have thumbs,” says a dedicated page from the African Wildlife Foundation.
“Their beautiful black fur strongly contrasts with the long white mantle, whiskers, bushy tail, and beard around the face. The Eastern black-and-white is distinguishable by a U-shaped cape of white hair running from the shoulders to lower back, whereas the Angolan black-and-white has white hairs flaring out only at the shoulders.”
The new baby boy is on display with his troop, Hogle Zoo says.
“You can visit the colobus monkey troop in Primate Forest, where they rotate between indoor and outdoor habitats depending on the weather,” the zoo statement says. “Keep an eye out for the tiniest troop member!”
Find the zoo address, hours and admission information here.
