May 05--It's a snow monkey! Lincoln Park Zoo on Monday announced the first birth amid its new troop of Japanese macaques, commonly known as snow monkeys.
The male, as yet unnamed, was born Saturday and is said to be hanging on to his mother, 10-year-old Ono, one of eight adult macaques at the zoo. Mother and son are on display in the zoo's new Regenstein Macaque Forest habitat.
"The father of the little snow monkey is unknown," zoo President Kevin Bell wrote in a blog post Monday afternoon. "It could be any of the group's males -- Akita (the leader), Miyagi or Kuma -- but the new arrival's paternity won't be determined until DNA testing can be conducted after its first physical exam, likely several months down the road."
Said curator of primates Maureen Leahy in a statement, "The baby appears healthy, is regularly nursing and visually exploring the exhibit while clinging tightly on Ono's torso."
