Zurich Zoo
The bear-nosed monkey is now a resident at the Zurich Zoo.
Keystone
A new species of monkey has been living at the Zurich Zoo since early August: the bear-stump monkey. These skilled climbers move gracefully through the treetops. To prevent them from getting caught on branches, they have only a stump of a thumb.
Today at 10:41•Today at 14:31Here’s what it’s all aboutA pair of bear-nosed monkeys has been living at the Zurich Zoo since early August.These animals have virtually no thumbs, so they don’t get caught on branches when climbing quickly.Eventually, the critically endangered monkeys are to be moved to the new Ndoki Forest, where they will be part of the European conservation breeding program.Summary created with
Today at 10:41•
Today at 14:31Here’s what it’s all aboutA pair of bear-nosed monkeys has been living at the Zurich Zoo since early August.These animals have virtually no thumbs, so they don’t get caught on branches when climbing quickly.Eventually, the critically endangered monkeys are to be moved to the new Ndoki Forest, where they will be part of the European conservation breeding program.Summary created withA new species of monkey has been living at the Zurich Zoo since early August: bear-tailed macaques. These skilled climbers move gracefully through the treetops. To prevent them from getting caught on branches, they have only a stub of a thumb.
The pair of monkeys has recently moved into the Great Apes House, the Zurich Zoo announced on Wednesday. They will later move to the new “Ndoki Forest” habitat, which will be home to the western lowland gorilla and other endangered species from West and Central Africa. This habitat will be built on 29,000 square meters in the lower part of the zoo and will feature trees up to 25 meters tall.
This will delight the bear-tailed monkeys, as they are particularly skilled climbers. Their lives take place almost entirely in the upper tree canopies.
And that’s exactly what nature has provided for: To prevent them from getting stuck while climbing, they have practically no thumb—just a stump. However, they do have a tail nearly one meter long, which they use to help steer themselves.
Energy Conservation
However, bear-nosed monkeys spend only a small part of the day climbing. They spend about two-thirds of the day resting, sleeping, or sunbathing. This is because the animals have to conserve their energy—due to digestion.
Their stomachs function similarly to those of cows. These animals, which weigh up to 14 kilograms, are vegetarians and feed mainly on leaves. Although the monkeys are not ruminants, their food is also pre-digested. Since leaves contain a lot of cellulose, which mammals can hardly digest on their own, special bacteria in upstream fermentation chambers take over part of the work.
Endangered species
On the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species, bear-tailed macaques were still classified as “Endangered” in 2008. In 2020, their status was upgraded to “Critically Endangered.”
This species of monkey also reproduces slowly: a female gives birth to a young only about once every two years. With a current population of just 57 animals, the reserve population of these monkeys is relatively small, according to the zoo. The pair of monkeys is part of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP).