Another patas monkey infant arrival means more baby joy for the zoo team!

Meet (almost) four week old patas monkey infant, ‘Taylor’. This adorable new arrival was born on 23 August to mum ‘Zweena’ and dad ‘Krusty’.

We’re one of just two zoo’s in the UK housing patas monkeys – the other being Monkey World based in Dorset. We are however, the only UK facility to house an actively breeding troop as part of the European Breeding Programme for the species and have already successfully bred three times now!

Baby Taylor was born at the end of August to mum Zweena. Photo by Megan Lee Photography

After already welcoming adorable patas monkey juvenile ‘Kelce’ to the troop in March this year, the zoo team were thrilled to welcome another new addition at the end of the summer holidays. Male infant ‘Taylor’ is now younger brother to one year old ‘Swift’. Notice the naming theme here by any chance? Let’s just say keeper Rosie is a huge Taylor Swift fan!

Our troop has grown again!

This new arrival brings troop numbers to a total of seven! We have large male (and dad), ‘Krusty’. Then we have female ‘Zora’ who is mum to six month old ‘Kelce’, and then ‘Zweena’ who is already mum to one year old ‘Swift’ as well as her newest arrival. We also have a young male ‘Wyatt’ who is two years old.

We already have a young patas monkey. Six month old Kelce only arrived in March to mum Zora!

This news is especially exciting for the zoo team as the Patas troop only moved into their brand new Patas Plains home in the early Summer – so they’ve clearly settled in well to their new surroundings. Guests can already enjoy spotting the family group playing in the trees or relaxing in their large bedroom areas. Kelce has most certainly become more independent recently, and although Taylor is showing clear signs of being very cheeky and brave – he’s still very much attached to mum Zweena at the moment.

Baby Taylor clinging to mum, Zweena. Pic taken by our keeper Callum

“It’s so exciting to have another baby patas monkey, especially with having to move the patas troop from their temporary home at the start of the summer holidays. We had to take extra care to move Zweena as she was pregnant – but mum and baby are doing so well and the troop seem very happy and settled in their new environment. It’s great to welcome another youngster to play with sibling Swift, as well as Kelce and young Wyatt.”

Little Taylor and mum Zweena can already be seen at Patas Plains

“We’re delighted with the new Patas Plains enclosure and are thrilled to have invested in this new zoo habitat upgrade, giving the monkeys lots more space, lots of climbing frames and trees to shelter under. Given that we’ve already welcomed two babies this year, we know how settled they are, and it’s great to see guests enjoy another new development.” – Rosie, Primate Keeper