A 10-day old eastern Angolan colobus monkey was held by a member of the troop Tuesday at the San Diego Zoo’s Lost Forest. This is the 20th offspring for mother Lulu, whose name means pearl in Swahili. This new baby was born on Nov. 21. Lulu has had four generations of offspring and is approximately 29 years old, making her the oldest Angolan colobus monkey to give birth.
Angolan colobus monkeys are born completely white. It’s thought that this makes it easier for the whole group to identify and look after the infant. These monkeys practice alloparenting, which means every family member participates in raising the infant. The youngster can often be seen being passed around as each colobus monkey takes turns caring for the group’s newest addition.
This youngster’s color will change to black within six months, making the juvenile an almost perfect copy of the adults. Angolan colobus monkeys are often referred to as leaf-eating monkeys because of their large, ruminant-like divided stomachs that enable them to digest high-cellulose plant material.
