ROYAL OAK, Mich., September 22, 2006 – Chrissy, a female Japanese macaque at the Detroit Zoo, knows what it’s like to have a monkey on her back.  The primate gave birth in August and can be seen toting her offspring around the Zoo’s snow monkey habitat.  The baby’s gender remains unknown pending a physical examination by Zoo veterinarians.

The new addition brings the Detroit Zoo’s snow monkey count to 17, including three males and 13 females.  The baby’s siblings will help it learn how to survive in this largely female society, according to Director of Conservation and Animal Welfare Scott Carter.  “Snow monkeys are very social animals and watch out for each other.  Learning from the mother and siblings will be very important to the baby’s development.”

The baby weighed about one pound at birth.  Male snow monkeys can weigh up to 30 pounds while females tip the scales at around 22 pounds.  The snow monkey diet includes vegetables, trees and insects. The Zoo’s snow monkeys also receive enrichment foods such as raisins and cereal so they can forage. 

Snow monkeys, Macaca fuscata, are native to Japan and have a diverse range of habitats, allowing them to adapt to dramatic temperature changes similar to those found in Michigan.   In the late 1990s, the Zoo introduced a hot tub into the snow monkey enclosure to imitate the hot springs present in their native habitat. 

Snow monkeys are threatened by habitat loss as the wild forests of Japan are converted for human use.  There are an estimated 35,000 to 50,000 snow monkeys left in the wild. 

The Detroit Zoological Society is a non-profit organization that operates the Detroit Zoo and Belle Isle Nature Zoo.  Situated on 125 acres of naturalistic exhibits, the Detroit Zoo is located at the intersection of Ten Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, just off I-696, in Royal Oak.  The Detroit Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March.  Admission is $11.00 for adults 13 to 61, $9.00 for senior citizens 62 and older, and $7.00 for children ages 2 to 12; children under 2 are free.  For more information, call (248) 398-0900 or visit www.detroitzoo.org.  The Belle Isle Nature Zoo is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April through October and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. November through March, and provides educational programming with interpretive staff support from the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.  For more information, call (313) 852-4056. 
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