Rare ginger monkey born in zoo

Nangua is being raised by what's known as allomothering, in which a group of females participate in raising the infant. Photo / Facebook, Taronga Zoo

Meet Nangua, named after the Mandarin word for pumpkin, a rare bright orange monkey.

Born at Sydney's Taronga Zoo, Nangua is a Francois' langur, one of the world's rarest species of monkey with just 800 thought to remain in the world.

Nangua, a male and the fourth born at the zoo, was found by keepers in his mother Meili's arms on November 7.

Langurs are born with bright orange fur which darkens to black as they age. It's a colour distinction that is thought to make it easier for adults to identify and look after infants.

Senior primate keeper Jane Marshall says Nangua is being raised by what's known as allomothering, in which a group of females participate in raising the infant, passing it around and nurturing it in turns.

"Meili has shown her calmness and experience since the birth, cradling and protecting the baby, but also allowing [other monkeys in the group] Noel and Elke to get close to him," she told the Guardian.

Little Nangua is also doing well: "He's still quite wobbly on his legs, but his head control is very strong and he's gripping and climbing well," Marshall said. "The adults are starting to let him climb off them briefly, which shows they're happy with his progress."

His father, Bobo, who was brought in under a breeding programme from Beijing Zoo in 2010, is said to be protective of his new family.

"Bobo is a little bit overwhelmed, but he's doing really well... he's protective of Meili," Marshall said.

- nzherald.co.nz