Olive cuddles her new baby.

We’re going bananas over a new black-handed spider monkey baby in our troop! We are happy to share that Mateo and Olive, two of our spider monkeys, welcomed their new offspring Jan. 11 around noon. 

Since their birth, this baby monkey has been holding on tight to their mother, Olive, and keepers describe them as bright and alert. The troop has showered the newborn with love, grooming and, of course, food! 

This birth is a unique case as the mother, Olive, was on birth control. While this came as a surprise, it’s possible it may have stopped working or it was rejected by her body, leading to the pregnancy.  

We also learned Shooter, the usual alpha of the troop and breeding male is not the father. It seems that he’s slowly letting Mateo, our four-year-old spider monkey who was rescued from the illegal pet trade, move up in ranking by allowing him to step in. 

But don’t get it twisted! Shooter is still in charge and Mateo listens to him diligently, said Rainforest Revealed area supervisor Krista Case.  

“The dynamic is still that of a family troop, and they will forage together and separate when they want to rest,” Krista said. “It is also common for primates that when the current alpha is getting older, they will ‘pass the torch’ to the next generation.” 

For now, we’re unsure of the sex as we’re giving the baby as much time as they need to adjust to their big new world. Once a few weeks have passed, our veterinary team will perform preliminary exams and discover their sex. 

Stay tuned to our blog and social media channels to find out!