Saki Monkey and Rock Hyrax born at Brevard Zoo

MELBOURNE, Fla. — Brevard Zoo’s White-Faced Saki Monkey, Chuckette, gave birth to her second baby May 18. The adult male, Yuki, and the first offspring, Watson, have shown interest in the new addition, but have been observed giving the mother and baby time to bond. The entire Saki monkey family can be seen on exhibit in the La Selva loop daily.

The adult pair arrived at the Zoo in October of 2007. Watson, a young female, was born to the pair in April 2012 and was named by Leasha Flammio-Watson. The gestation period for a Saki monkey ranges from 163 to 167 days.

Typically a new baby will cling to the mother for the first couple of weeks and then the male, or one of its siblings, will also carry it around. Saki monkeys are independent by six months, but they usually stay with their family after this period.

The White-Faced Saki Monkeys are found in the countries of Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.

Also at the Zoo, four Rock Hyraxes (two male and two female) were born on exhibit in Expedition Africa May 22. They were observed roaming the exhibit with the parents within an hour of birth. A typical litter size is two to three and the gestation period is six to seven months. The adult pair arrived at the Zoo in March 2011.

One of the closest living relatives to hyraxes is the elephant. The Rock Hyrax is found across Africa and the Middle East. They are known to inhabit areas with rock crevices that help provide protection from predators. Hyraxes typically live in groups of 10 to 80 animals. Like the meerkat, hyraxes use sentries, a system where one or more animals take up position on a vantage point and issue alarm calls on the approach of predators.

For more information about the Brevard Zoo, visit brevardzoo.org.

WFTV