Earlier this month, staff at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney discovered a baby male François's langur monkey cradled in his mother's arms. The bright orange bungle was eagerly awaited, and has since been named Nagua, the Mandarin word for "pumpkin".
One of the rarest monkey species in the world, François's langurs are born with bright orange hair that eventually turns black as they grow. The running theory is that the orange babies are easier for their parents to keep track of in their treetop habitat.
It's thought that there are just 2,000 of these monkeys left in the wild, ranging from southwestern China to northeastern Vietnam. Habitat loss and poaching for traditional medicine are the biggest threats to the species.
Visitors at Taronga have already had a peek at the new arrival as he begins to explore his home. “He’s still quite wobbly on his legs, but his head control is very strong and he’s gripping and climbing well," says Senior Primate Keeper Jane Marshall. "The adults are starting to let him climb off them briefly, which shows they’re happy with his progress.”
Nagua is the first born to father Bobo, who was brought to Taronga from Beijing in 2010 as part of an endangered species breeding programme. Though new to the parenting game, he appears to be adjusting quite nicely.
“Bobo is a little bit overwhelmed," says Marshall. "But he’s doing really well. He’s protective of Meili and he even lets the baby climb onto him. I saw the baby climb up over his head the other day and he wasn’t worried at all."
Top header image: Taronga Zoo/used with permission
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