Colchester Zoo announces the birth of baby gelada baboon

The animal care team welcomed the birth of a baby gelada baboon to mum, Keecha and dad, Akobo on July 20.

Keecha, who was also born at the zoo in 2008 and has gone on to become an experience parent, welcoming four previous offspring, three of which can still be seen at Colchester Zoo today.

Akobo, who is seven-years-old, arrived at Colchester Zoo in July last year to become the new breeding male of the group, yet this is the first time he has sired an offspring.

The duo’s new arrival is yet to be sexed and named by the primate team, but has “settled in well” within the troop and is “constantly developing”, learning from Keecha and its older siblings.

Read more: Pair of endangered ring-tailed lemur pups are born at Colchester Zoo

There is no defined breeding season for baby gelada baboons, but in the wild a birth peak has been noted during the rainy season with females usually birthing a single infant.

Unlike their name suggests, gelada baboons are in fact not a baboon but a separate species of monkey.

Gelada baboons are listed as ‘Least concern’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, however their population is decreasing so the zoo said it is “great news that our group continues to successfully breed”.

You can spot the gelada troop for yourself at Colchester Zoo’s Gelada Bridge.