An adorable and rare orange baby is now swinging around the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
The Ohio zoo announced the birth of a Francois langur monkey last month with a series of adorable photos. Although the baby has yet to be named, it is already a hit with fans for its big eyes and adorable grin.
The species is listed as endangered by the People Resources and Conservation Foundation, which says there are fewer than 1,000 left in the wild. The monkeys tend to live in rocky, tree-covered areas, but are losing their habitat due to deforestation and hunting.
The baby was born on 16 July to a pair of Francois’ langurs named Glora and Vinh. This is the second offspring of Glora and Vinh, the zoo said. Visitors to the zoo will be able to see the young monkey on the second floor of The RainForest exhibit during regular opening hours.
When Francois’ langurs are born, they are a striking bright orange colour for evolutionary reasons: According to the New England Primate Conservatory, the colour allows the adults to keep an eye on the babies when they are first born. As Francois’ langurs grow, their fur darkens to a glossy black that lasts for the rest of their lives. At maturity, the monkeys stand about two feet tall and can weigh up to 17 pounds.
The zoo describes Francois’ langurs as “excellent aerialists”, and with good reason. The animals must be adept in the trees because they spend a lot of time eating leaves and fruit from flowers when available, according to the zoo. The monkeys also follow diurnal patterns (awake during the day, asleep at night) and their natural habitat is in Asia, particularly south-east China, central Laos and Vietnam.
Admission to the zoo is $18 for adults and $14 for children aged two to 11. The zoo is open every day from 10am to 5pm.