More monkeys at Fresno’s Chaffee Zoo? Here’s when you might see two new baby colobuses

The Fresno Chaffee Zoo has expanded its colobus monkey troop by two.

That’s two babies of the genus Colobus guereza, or Eastern Black and White Colobus, recently born at the zoo under recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and its Species Survival Plan.

“We cannot wait to see these babies grow and develop with the help of their family,” General Curator Lyn Myers said in a statement announcing the births. Guests will be able to see the two babies periodically throughout the spring/summer, the zoo said.

The infants were born with white fur, which they will have until three months old. They hang onto their mother’s chest for safety, though all the females in the troop work together to care for the baby, the zoo said.

The monkeys are one of the many species the zoo supports through its conservation help, which helps protect the habitat for black-and-white colobus and many other species in the Kibale National Park in Uganda.

In March, the Zoo was called out by an animal protection group for its treatment of elephants.

In April, the zoo renewed its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an independent accrediting organization that helps support scientific research, conservation, and education programs. Chaffee Zoo has earned the accreditation for more than 25 years.

In June, Measure Z, the Fresno County sales tax that supports the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, will be on the ballot for renewal. The one-tenth of 1% tax would run for the next 15 years.