New Baby Colobus Monkey at Lincoln Park Zoo has a Bright Pink Face and Stark White Fur
Learn how a newborn's white coat helps relatives keep track of him as he grows into his adult black-and-white coloring.
On September 24, 2026, Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed a new addition to their colobus monkey troop. The baby, a male born to mother Nola, 7, and father Oku, 11, has quickly become a topic of discussion among the zoo's visitors. What makes this newborn particularly fascinating is his striking appearance - he is born with a bright pink face and stark white fur, which stands out distinctly against the black coats of the rest of his family group.
The zoo's curator, Dani Fogarty, expressed pride in Nola's new role as an attentive mother, noting that this behavior is typical for colobus monkeys. Colobus babies are born white due to a protective feature that helps the troop identify and care for them among their black-furred peers. As they grow, the babies undergo a color change, reaching their adult coloring around six months of age.
While the exact lifespan of these captivating creatures is not specified, the zoo emphasizes their role in maintaining the species' population health through successful breeding programs like the Guereza Colobus Species Survival Plan.
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