Rare bright orange monkey born at Taronga Zoo
TARONGA ZOO KEEPERS have welcomed the birth of one of the world’s rarest monkeys. Born on 21 July, the baby François Langur was named Embe – after the Vietnamese word for ‘baby’ – to represent her South East Asian heritage.
Like all baby François Langurs, Embe was born with distinctive bright orange hair, a stark contrast to her parents’ black colouring and believed to make it easier for adults to identify and look after infants.
“Little Embe is doing really well. She’s bright, attentive and interactive. At three weeks old she’s already starting to explore her environment by picking up pieces of bark and is starting to grab at mum’s food,” said Jane Marshall, Senior Primate Keeper at Taronga Zoo.
Image: Paul Fahy / Taronga Zoo
Embe is being raised by first-time mum Noel as well as ‘aunty’ Meili who lends a hand when Noel needs a break, called ‘alloparenting’. “She’s much more confident with the baby and often lets Embe explore a little on her own,” said Jane.
Taronga Zoo is the only zoo in Australia to care for this critically endangered species, which is native to China and Vietnam and has been heavily poached for traditional medicines.
“With only around 2000 individuals left in the wild these animals are in trouble. The birth of this female at Taronga is great news for the species,” said Jane.
Image: Paul Fahy / Taronga Zoo
Image: Paul Fahy / Taronga Zoo
Image: Paul Fahy / Taronga Zoo
