'Incredibly rare' monkey born at Australian zoo

Published October 4, 2019
This handout picture taken on October 2, 2019 and released by Sydney's Taronga Zoo on October 4 shows a newly-born male Francois' Langur, one of the world's rarest monkeys, staying close to his mother at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. — AFP
This handout picture taken on October 2, 2019 and released by Sydney's Taronga Zoo on October 4 shows a newly-born male Francois' Langur, one of the world's rarest monkeys, staying close to his mother at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. — AFP

One of the world's rarest monkeys has been born at an Australian zoo.

The male Francois' Langur with its distinctive orange fur was born at Sydney's Taronga zoo last week and has not yet been named.

This handout picture taken on October 2, 2019 and released by Sydney's Taronga Zoo on October 4 shows a newly-born male Francois' Langur, one of the world's rarest monkeys, staying close to his mother at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. — AFP
This handout picture taken on October 2, 2019 and released by Sydney's Taronga Zoo on October 4 shows a newly-born male Francois' Langur, one of the world's rarest monkeys, staying close to his mother at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. — AFP

Critically-endangered, the animal is only found in China and Vietnam where it is threatened by poachers and loss of habitat from encroaching development.

“Seeing Francois' Langurs in the wild is incredibly rare, but seeing a baby is even more so,” said Senior Zoo Keeper Jane Marshall.

The baby's bright orange hair lasts just a few weeks before it begins to darken to the colour of its mother Noel's hair.

The zoo estimates there are only about 3,000 of the species left in the wild.

“Not a lot of people know about Francois' Langurs as a species, but these beautiful animals are very vibrant animals, who are incredibly agile and intelligent,” Marshall added.

Opinion

Editorial

Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...
By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...