Posted June 2, 2022 in New Arrivals
We are delighted to announce that on 26th May our female barbary macaque, Ouria, gave birth to a single offspring after a gestation period of around five to six months.
The newborn was sired by our male Barbary macaque, Saghro. This is the second time Saghro has sired a young within the group, after female macaque M’Punky gave birth earlier in the year.
Photos by ©Tom Smith
Ouria is a first-time mum and is proving to be a great one at that, carrying her young around and giving it the attention and love it needs. The new arrival is yet to be sexed by The Animal Care Team, who will then choose a suitable name for the youngster.
Ouria arrived at Colchester back in 2019 along with females, M’Punky and Sutra, from Réserve Africaine de Sigean in France, whilst Saghro arrived from Apenheul Primate Park in The Netherlands.
This species is currently classed as ‘Endangered’ on the Red List of Threatened Species, so it is brilliant news that these two macaques have brought new life into the world together to help towards the conservation of their species.
In the wild, the biggest threat Barbary macaques face is the illegal pet trade with over 300 captured and sold every year. Although these creatures originate from Morocco, they are now commonly known for being the face of Gibraltar with over 250 individuals living on Gibraltar Rock.
Visit our Barbary macaque family at their home next to Lion Rock on your next visit!
