Black & white colobus

The Philadelphia Zoo has two groups of colobus monkeys. The first group is housed in the Colobus exhibit, and includes:
 
Chua: Male, born August 12, 2001 at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. He arrived here on October 17, 2012.
Ophelia: Female, born July 12, 1998 at The Zoo – Northwest Florida. She arrived here on February 1, 2010.
Zabibu: Female, born April 9, 2004 at the Naples Zoo. She arrived here on February 1, 2010.
Johari: Female, born December 19, 2002 at the Naples Zoo. She arrived here on February 1, 2010.
Dhoruba: Female, born September 7, 2004 at The Naples Zoo. She arrived here on February 1, 2010.

The second group is a single pair living in the Rare Animal Conservation Center.
Jagadi: Male, born on September 23, 1986 at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoological Park in Colorado.  He arrived here on February 1, 2010.
Coleus: Female, born on April 18, 1986 at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Massachusetts. She arrived here on June 6, 1991.

Where to find me in the Zoo

Colobus exhibit, at the south end of the Zoo near the maned wolf exhibit, and the Rare Animal Conservation Center.

Fun Facts

• They are strictly leaf-eaters.
• Several females will help raise one offspring.

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The colobus live in groups of up to 10 individuals. They are diurnal and arboreal, spending half their day resting in trees or on the ground and the other half of their day foraging and feeding.

Longevity

Black and white colobus can live up to 25 years.

Reproduction

Gestation is ~158 days and the young are born completely white.

Behavior

A baby is born completely white and will slowly transition to the adult black and white coloring over a three month span of time. The colobus practice "allo maternal care". This type of care involves several females in the troop sharing responsibility for the care and raising of the offspring.

Size

Males are 24 in (60 cm) and Females are 22 in (56 cm).

Weight

Males weigh 20-31 lb (9-14 kg) and Females weigh 18-20 lb (8-9 kg).

Diet

Black and white colobus monkeys are strict leaf eaters. In the wild they like tender young leaves found in treetops. Their unique, complex digestive system allows them to consume some vegetation that other monkeys cannot. At the Zoo, they are offered a base diet of primate biscuit designed for leaf eating primates. The enrichment portion of the diet includes a variety of leafy greens and vegetables. During the summer a portion of their enrichment diet includes a variety of leaves harvested from the Zoo’s browse farm. The leaves are analyzed for nutrient composition and formulated into diet.

Geographic Range

Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania among others.