Fota Wildlife Park has announced the arrival of Freya, a new female Black-and-white colobus monkey.
Freya came from Zoo La Palmyre in France earlier this year as part of a European breeding programme.
In a statement Fota said the monkey, who is four and a half years old, is being gradually introduced to the resident breeding male Black-and-white colobus.
Freya can be seen acclimatising to her new surroundings in the colobus monkey house located just inside the main Fota Wildlife Park entrance.
She will be joined by three other female colobus monkeys, Nia, Kimani and Massassi who will be coming to Fota from the Bojnice National Zoo, Slovakia in the coming months.
About the Black-and-white colobus
Photo Darragh Kane
A native of Africa, the distinctive-looking Black and white colobus live high up in the forest canopy, which can be very cold.
They are mostly covered in a long black pelt which contrasts with a flowing white mantle of hair on their shoulders and back and feature white facial hair and beard.
Colobus monkeys are herbivorous and eat leaves, fruit, flowers, and twigs.
Lead ranger Teresa Power said,
“We are delighted to welcome this new female colobus, Freya. We hope that Freya will breed with the dominant male colobus, Tom. Although listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Least Concern, the Black and white colobus is popular for its unique coat and has been hunted for centuries because of this. The Black and white colobus’ native African habitat is threatened by agricultural developments and timber production. Therefore, ex-situ breeding programmes at wildlife parks and zoos are essential for species survival.”
Fota Wildlife Park is a leading contributor to the conservation of national and global biodiversity through education, the breeding of endangered species, and the promotion of conservation work world-wide. It participates in European Endangered Species Breeding Programmes (EEP) for several animal species, including the Cheetah, Black and white ruffed lemurs, European bison and Simitar-horned oryx.
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