117 Likes, 10 Comments - Liz Sauer (@zoogirlsd) on Instagram: “I notified the Keepers that Grandma Sitawi wasn’t letting Allen’s Swamp Monkey Zuri have her baby…”
“I notified the Keepers that Grandma Sitawi wasn’t letting Allen’s Swamp Monkey Zuri have her baby back. Apparently this has never happened before! 😂 Unlike some species of leaf eating monkeys who engage in alloparenting, such as Silvered Leaf Langurs and Colobus Monkeys, it is not typical for Swamp Monkey females to share child rearing responsibilities. And at just three days old, it’s important that the baby is able to nurse and also that the maternal bonding with new mom Zuri isn’t interrupted for too long. The Keepers tried to lure the monkeys inside with treats, but Sitawi, who is usually highly motivated by food, was not interested. I think she knew that she might have to give up that adorable baby! For her part, Zuri had great maternal instincts, and didn’t want to leave her new baby, even for the promise of treats. After assessing that the baby wasn’t in any immediate danger and consulting with the vet team, they gave the girls some time to try to work it out. Zuri did try multiple times to get her baby back, but was having a hard time asserting herself against her strong-willed mom. After about two hours, Sitawi’s hunger pains were a little harder to resist, and everyone did go inside, where I’m told the Keepers had to intervene by giving Sitawi a mild sedative and taking the baby from her. The baby was reunited with mom Zuri and now Grandma Sitawi is on a bit of a time out for a few days at least! It was fascinating to watch not only the monkey family dynamics, but our amazing Keeper team in action! Swipe to see some of Zuri’s attempts to retrieve her baby, including a short video at the end involving a lot of sideways glances.”
quote, pics, and vid from https://www.instagram.com/zoogirlsd/
