The Fort Worth Zoo has a new resident – a baby mandrill. The female monkey was born Jan. 11 to mother Scarlett and father J.J, zoo officials said in a news release.
The first mandrill born at the zoo since 1995, the new arrival is named Ruby. Scarlett and Ruby are doing very well and have formed a healthy bond, officials said. Mandrill babies tend to nurse for six to 12 months and will remain close to their mother’s side even after weaning. As a result, Ruby had not been measured or weighed but keepers estimated her weight to be around 2 pounds, about the size of a pineapple.
Prior to Ruby, there have only been two mandrill births at the Fort Worth Zoo– a female in 1992 and a male in 1995.
Ruby’s birth contributes to a diverse, genetically healthy population of mandrills among U.S. zoos and ensures their survival for future generations, the release said. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the mandrill is listed as vulnerable. Found in just a few countries in West-Central Africa, populations continue to decline due to habitat destruction and illegal, unregulated hunting.
Ruby can be seen in the zoo’s World of Primates habitat.
The zoo also announced recently its first-ever hatching of a female rockhopper penguin chick. The rockhopper penguin population is declining in the wild and because of its vulnerable status the zoo is celebrating the chick’s hatching as a major conservation success. There have only been 36 rockhopper penguin chicks hatched in the last three years across all accredited zoos and aquariums, officials said.
The chick, named Darcy, was born Dec. 21 and will be considered full grown in about three months. By one year she will develop a stripe that will later become her characteristic yellow crest feathers, though it will take about four years for those feathers to fully appear.
Zoo staff members have worked diligently for decades toward this conservation milestone, the zoo said. Within the last three years, keepers modified lighting to ensure a better UV spectrum for the penguins. The shift in UV lighting allows for better vitamin D and calcium absorption for the penguins, as well as light-timed cycles to mimic sunrise and sunset in their indoor habitat.
Darcy can be seen in the Penguins habitat.
ABOUT THE ZOO
The nationally acclaimed Fort Worth Zoo has been voted a top zoo in North America by USA Today, one of the “World’s Greatest” by Bloomberg TV, the Best Zoo in Texas by Yahoo Travel, the No. 5 zoo in the nation by USA Travel Guide, the No. 1 family attraction in the DFW Metroplex by Zagat survey and a Top 10 Zoo or Aquarium by FamilyFun magazine. Home to nearly 7,000 animals, the zoo is beginning the final installment of a four-phase master plan. The first phase, African Savanna, opened in 2018; the second phase, Elephant Springs, opened in 2021; the third, Predators of Asia & Africa, opened in June 2023. The fourth and final phase is Forests & Jungles of the World. The zoo welcomes more than 1 million visitors each year. More information about the Fort Worth Zoo can be found on its website.