Baby Snow Monkey Born At Detroit Zoo

ROYAL OAK (the Patch) —Michiganders may be over winter, but the type of snow spotted at the Detroit Zoo in recent days is cause for celebration.

After a gestation of 173 days, a Japanese macaque – also known as a snow monkey – was born in the early morning hours of April 23 to mom Carmen, 16, and dad Haru, 6, bringing the troop total to nine. The baby's arrival marks the first snow monkey birth at the Zoo in nearly 13 years.

"Mom and baby are doing well," said Scott Carter, chief life sciences officer for the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). "Carmen is a first-time mom, but she's attentive and doing everything she should. The baby is fully furred and alert and can sometimes be seen clearly when Carmen puts her down in the grass for brief periods."

The newborn's gender and weight are currently unknown as she is held close by her protective mom, but DZS animal care staff suspect she is a girl. Snow monkeys typically weigh around 1.5 pounds at birth; adult males can weigh up to 30 pounds while females tip the scales at around 22 pounds.

Carmen was born at the Detroit Zoo in 2002 and Haru arrived in 2016. The duo was paired as part of a breeding recommendation through the Association of Zoos & Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, which maintains genetically healthy populations in accredited zoos and aquariums. Snow monkeys are threatened by habitat loss as the wild forests of Japan are converted for human use.

Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata fuscata) have complex social dynamics, including a social hierarchy based on family. "Learning from Carmen and the other adults will be very important to this little one's development," Carter said. "Carmen is one of the highest-ranking females in the troop, so this baby will enjoy the privilege of her family's status as she grows up."

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