Keeper Dani Keller captured Daisy snuggling her new baby the morning we discovered the birth!

We are welcoming yet another black-handed spider monkey baby to our troop…surprise! 

Our 7-year-old spider monkey, Daisy, gave birth overnight on Feb. 23 to her baby. This pregnancy came as a shocker since Daisy is on birth control, but it’s not unheard of, says staff veterinarian Dr. Rachel Turner. 

“Implant failure is absolutely a known issue,” said Dr. Turner. “It’s not unheard of for implants to work their way out from under the skin or for other naughty monkeys to pick them out.” 

Dr. Turner also suggested that sometimes, young animals can outgrow their implants as they grow in size, but it’s hard to say for sure what caused Daisy’s pregnancy. 

“Unfortunately, any time you’re working with monkeys, it’s really not an exact science!” she added. 

Daisy’s baby peeks their head out from under their mother’s arms.

In January, Olive the spider monkey also welcomed an unexpected spider monkey baby despite being on birth control. Both Olive and Daisy share a mate, too: a wildlife trafficking victim who we took in named Mateo! As we previously shared, Shooter is normally the alpha of our spider monkey troop, meaning he leads in mating.  

However, it seems Shooter is letting 5-year-old Mateo climb up the ladder of their social hierarchy. Since Mateo is the father of both Olive and Daisy’s babies, he’s been splitting his time between the two over the past week. 

Members of the spider monkey troop cuddle with Olive’s baby (left) and Daisy’s baby (tucked under Daisy on the right).

“Various members of the troop have gone to snuggle and hang out [with the new babies], and they have all had very positive interactions,” said Rainforest Revealed area supervisor Krista Case. 

Like Olive’s offspring, our veterinary staff is unable to determine the sex of the Daisy’s baby now as they are still clinging on tight to her. In the meantime, our keepers perform frequent visual checks to make sure the baby is bright and alert. 

Stay tuned to our social channels for more updates as this little one grows!

Special thanks to Flammio Financial Group, Stifel-Garvin Wealth Management Group, Artemis IT, and Jim and Darleen Barfield. Their generosity makes our work possible! 

Brevard Zoo is an independent, not-for-profit organization that receives no recurring government funding for our operating costs. Your generous support enables us to continue to serve our community and continue our vital animal wellness, education and conservation programs.