Dahlia, a colobus monkey housed at the Hogle Zoo, has given birth for the first time. Photo credit: Hogle Zoo
SALT LAKE CITY — A colobus monkey named Dahlia, a resident of Salt Lake City’s Hogle Zoo, has given birth to her baby.
And the baby is a hit! The zoo reports that other female members of the colobus monkey group are carrying the baby with them in a practice known as alloparenting.
Seen in many social groups in the animal and human worlds, alloparenting occurs when non-parents play a parenting role.
In a statement, Hogle Zoo said that even the youngest members of the colobus group, Pepper and Lulu, are participating in alloparenting with the new colobus baby.
“It’s a great way for younger females to learn how to properly take care of babies before having their own one day,” said the zoo in the statement.
The African Wildlife Foundation describes the colobus monkey as “the most arboreal” of all African monkeys, meaning, they rarely descend from trees. They are native to more than 15 African countries, however, hunting led to the disappearance of the colobus monkey in some areas.
The zoo said they have not yet identified the baby’s gender and that a name is pending.