Bolivian squirrel monkeys

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

Moderator
Staff member
15+ year member
I thought I might just make a separate thread for these guys, seeing as how they are now in three zoos, and I just found an article about them for Brookland Zoo. Curiously Auckland Zoo doesn't appear to have released any news about them, even on their Facebook page, but I do find they are pretty bad at press releases for new developments. Hopefully they'll start breeding well and spread into some more zoos around the country. (Original thread of the importation here: http://www.zoochat.com/17/news-2012-a-258958/)

Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys Arrive At Wellington Zoo... | Stuff.co.nz
17 Feb 2012

A band of 30 cheeky Bolivian squirrel monkeys have arrived at Wellington Zoo.

The Bolivian squirrel monkey is an energetic, social monkey from South America and is also known as a black-capped squirrel monkey or black-headed squirrel monkey.

This particular troupe of monkeys arrived from a French zoo last week, a Wellington Zoo spokeswoman said. They will emerge from quarantine tomorrow.

"They are quite gorgeous wee things and we are very excited about them."

Wellington Zoo will keep 17 of the monkeys, with the rest bound for Brooklands in New Plymouth and Auckland.

They should be on display to the public in two or three weeks, after more tests are completed.
Click to expand...


Squirrel monkeys coming to Brooklands Zoo - Yahoo! New Zealand News
21 Feb 2012

Five Bolivian squirrel monkeys are about to make a new home at Brooklands Zoo.

The monkeys are among 30 which are from zoos in Europe. They will be bred in Auckland and Wellington zoos, with New Plymouth's zoo holding a bachelor group.

"Our bachelor group will be used as potential future breeding stock," says Assistant Curator Brooklands Zoo Eve Cozzi.

"For successful breeding it's best to rotate the males from the breeding groups every two to three years, so we will transfer monkeys between the three zoos as needed."

This is the first time that Bolivian squirrel monkeys have been imported to New Zealand.

Says Mayor Harry Duynhoven: "It's great that Brooklands can team with Wellington and Auckland zoos in helping to grow the population of these squirrel monkeys.

"The zoo team has a good reputation for their work with exotic animals, which makes it possible for locals to have access to species which they otherwise wouldn't have a chance to see."

The monkeys are small and very active, and Ms Cozzi expects them to be a hit at Brooklands.

"I've worked with them overseas. They will each have their own personalities and they're super cute. They're excellent climbers and really good at jumping and leaping," she says.

Squirrel monkeys can live up to 20 years. Brooklands Zoo's monkeys are quite young, ranging in age from 1.5 years to just under four years.

The monkeys are being transported to Brooklands Zoo today (Tuesday) and will be on public display in mid to late March, once the former lemur enclosure has been renovated for their use.
Click to expand...
 
the Wellington Zoo squirrel monkeys are now on display in the big aviary housing cottontop tamarins, agouti, sun conure and red-fronted macaw (thanks to Arvicola for bringing the facebook announcement to our attention).

The Brooklands squirrel monkeys will be on display soon; their enclosure is still being finished (as I understand it, from their Facebook page, it is the old lemur cage being refurbished). Photo of the cage under construction here Welcome to Facebook - Log In, Sign Up or Learn More

The Auckland Zoo squirrel monkeys will apparently be going on display in April. [EDIT: sorry, this should say they will be going up to Auckland from Wellington in April; but presumably they will go on display soon after]
 
Last edited:
That's a nice big lush enclosure for them, they'll really enjoy that. I was worried they might end up in the Nursey Rhyme House with the Emperors and Pygmys.

:p

Hix
 
Hix said:
That's a nice big lush enclosure for them, they'll really enjoy that. I was worried they might end up in the Nursey Rhyme House with the Emperors and Pygmys.

:p

Hix
Click to expand...

I'm sure that Arvicola will be able to tell us more, but it is my understanding that the enclosure is set to become a lot larger yet.
 
I do not think that that enclosure will remain lush for long with 17 squirrel monkeys in it. And it wouldn't be particularly large for that number either.

Wellington Zoo was talking about a walkthrough South American exhibit with "monkeys" so possibly that is how the expansion will work? That would be very cool. I imagine that the whole thing would need to be covered though, to maximise available space in a rather limited area. Hopefully the enclosure will get a bit taller also.

Brooklands Zoo expansion looks impressive too, should be good to see.

Auckland Zoos enclosure is the most interesting, as they have not mentioned where it will be, and I have heard of no new exhibits being built. My thinking is that possibly the Bonnet Macaques will be shipped out (probably to Franklin), and that the Squirrel Monkeys will go there, although there is room for a new enclosure behind the Cotton-top Tamarin one.
 
I'm not sure how they're going to be turning this into a walk-through, whether they will be just adding bits on to make it bigger or removing it entirely and replacing it with a purpose-built one. Attached is the sign next to the aviary.
 

Attachments

  • 20 future zoo.jpg
    20 future zoo.jpg
    2.1 MB · Views: 12
zooboy28 said:
I do not think that that enclosure will remain lush for long with 17 squirrel monkeys in it. And it wouldn't be particularly large for that number either.

Wellington Zoo was talking about a walkthrough South American exhibit with "monkeys" so possibly that is how the expansion will work? That would be very cool. I imagine that the whole thing would need to be covered though, to maximise available space in a rather limited area. Hopefully the enclosure will get a bit taller also.

Brooklands Zoo expansion looks impressive too, should be good to see.

Auckland Zoos enclosure is the most interesting, as they have not mentioned where it will be, and I have heard of no new exhibits being built. My thinking is that possibly the Bonnet Macaques will be shipped out (probably to Franklin), and that the Squirrel Monkeys will go there, although there is room for a new enclosure behind the Cotton-top Tamarin one.
Click to expand...

I went to Auckland Zoo a week ago, and the trees in the Bonnet Macaques/Otter enclosure were all cut back. I took a few photos, which I will probably upload within the next few days.
 
On the 'Maintenance Works' page of the Auckland Zoo website, there is a notice stating
Reptile Row will be closed for 5 weeks (from 30 April) during construction work on the pond opposite the Galapagos tortoises.
Click to expand...
Could this be to convert that enclosure for the Bolivian squirrel monkeys? I know that they were supposed to be going in the Bonnet Macaque enclosure, but because of the recent tragedy at Franklin Zoo, the macaques might have to stay at Auckland Zoo for now.
Also, in 2010 I read that Auckland Zoo were going to build a new enclosure for their Macaws (to be built behind the alligators apparently), yet nothing has happened since. Last weekend when I went to Auckland Zoo, they were replacing the mesh on the front of the macaw aviary.
 
Auckland Zoo has finally put the squirrel monkeys onto their website, but still no news on when or where they will be displayed:
Auckland Zoo - Squirrel monkeys
A group of eight Bolivian squirrel monkeys (three male and five female) are coming soon to Auckland Zoo.

Primate team leader Amy Robbins, who has spent time getting to know her new charges, describes them as "very mischievious, but lovely".

Keep an eye out here for updates about when our squirrel monkeys will be on display.
Click to expand...
 
I took my daughters to Wellington Zoo today and they loved the squirrel monkeys. The monkeys were highly active and were often up at the windows even bringing food up to the windows to eat got many photos and it took a long time to get my girls to move on to the next exhibt
 
Not to detract from the whole import or undermine it in anyway, but it is kind of sad that zoos in our region have to announce arrivals like this with so much publicity (like Auckland is doing now in their Facebook page) for such a common zoo species for overseas zoos.
 
Jabiru96 said:
Not to detract from the whole import or undermine it in anyway, but it is kind of sad that zoos in our region have to announce arrivals like this with so much publicity (like Auckland is doing now in their Facebook page) for such a common zoo species for overseas zoos.
Click to expand...
I don't think its sad at all. The first squirrel monkeys in NZ for quite a long time and the first Bolivian squirrel monkeys full stop. Irrespective of how common they are overseas, it is a big deal. And of course the publicity is how they get the visitors into the zoos so they can keep running.

What is sad is someone like me getting way too over-excited about such a common zoo species for overseas zoos :D
 
soapiedragon said:
I took my daughters to Wellington Zoo today and they loved the squirrel monkeys. The monkeys were highly active and were often up at the windows even bringing food up to the windows to eat got many photos and it took a long time to get my girls to move on to the next exhibt
Click to expand...
where is the window in the cage? This is the big cage with the tamarins, conures and macaw?
 
Chlidonias said:
I don't think its sad at all. The first squirrel monkeys in NZ for quite a long time and the first Bolivian squirrel monkeys full stop. Irrespective of how common they are overseas, it is a big deal. And of course the publicity is how they get the visitors into the zoos so they can keep running.

What is sad is someone like me getting way too over-excited about such a common zoo species for overseas zoos :D
Click to expand...

I find it sad in the sense not about the advertising but the fact that this commonly seen species in overseas zoos is so precious in our zoos.
 
soapiedragon said:
they have changed the front of the cage into windows sorry the only pics I got a good view of the new windows in have my girls in them so won't post them
Click to expand...
thanks very much. That will make the visibility much better than the heavy mesh they had before then.
 
what I did take photos of but wasn't sure if to post them or not is pic of the proposed new meet the locals area to get it all in I had to take it ih 5 different photos
 
Chlidonias said:
thanks very much. That will make the visibility much better than the heavy mesh they had before then.
Click to expand...
I did put up a couple of pics in the gallery of the squirrel monkeys that my daughters weren't in and yes they were easy to see esp since the ones we saw seemed to be showing off
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top