Video: Lincoln Park Zoo Welcomes New Baby Snow Monkey

By Lisa White in News on May 5, 2015 9:25PM

(Photo: Todd Rosenberg / Lincoln Park Zoo)

The Lincoln Park Zoo welcomes its newest member of the family, just in time for spring. Yesterday the zoo announced the birth of a Japanese macaque monkey, more commonly know as a snow monkey. The newest bundle of joy was born May 2 at their Regenstein Macaque Forest facility. This is their first successful snow monkey birth at the Forest.

The newest addition joins a group of eight snow monkeys currently at the zoo. The Regenstein Macaque Forest, the newest exhibit at the zoo, includes a hot spring stream and microclimates, which are ideal environments for the snow monkeys. Research Scientist Katie Cronin, PhD, points out an interesting fact about the baby's development in the zoo's press release, stating it "will be the first in this population to grow up with access to touch screen computers." The monkeys can choose if they want to use these devices or not and if they do, scientist can study cognitive abilities in order to better understand them, their feeling and how they think.

Curator of Primates, Maureen Leahy stated that the baby "appears healthy, is regularly nursing and visually exploring the exhibit while clinging tightly on Ono’s torso.”

(Photo: Todd Rosenberg / Lincoln Park Zoo)

Ono, the baby's mother, is ten years old. Keepers were able to figure out that the baby is male, but he hasn't been named yet. You can check out video of Ono and her new baby hanging out (literally) and palling around below.