Jungle VIP swings into Fota in time for jazz
Fota Wildlife Park in Cork yesterday unveiled a tiny lion-tailed macaque monkey — a species on the critically endangered list — which was born at the park just over a month ago.
Its sex has not yet been determined because it is still clinging to its mother.
Park rangers do not want to get too close to the new arrival at this critical nursing stage.
The baby monkey, whose natural habitat is confined to tiny, isolated pockets of evergreen tropical forest in the Western Ghat Mountains in India, joins a troop of some 13 lion-tailed macaques who live in Fota.
Macaques are so named because of their tufted lion-like tail and the grey ‘mane’ around their face. Females give birth once every three to four years and they can live up to 30 years in captivity.
The new monkey’s arrival is yet another addition to Fota’s very successful breeding programme which has seen other critically endangered animals, such as the scimitar horned oryx and european bison, giving birth in 2009.
The park’s head of marketing, Stephen Ryan, said everyone is thrilled following the birth. And because it coincides with the Cork Jazz Festival, Fota has put together a range of activities to celebrate, he said. “The lion-tailed macaques are one of 11 primates that we have at Fota,” he said.
“Primates are known for swinging, so with it being the Cork Jazz Festival weekend, we are organising a special primate weekend.
“We will have music on each day between 3pm and 5pm, plus face painting and talks — all based on a monkey theme.” Detroit bass guitarist, Jerome Rimson, who has played with Van Morrison, Freddie Mercury and Phil Lynott during a musical career spanning four decades, will be among the musicians playing at the park this weekend.
lwww.fotawildlife.ie/events
