Oldest swinger in town turns 42

SHE’S the oldest swinger in town who, despite years of monkey business, is poised to celebrate a milestone birthday.

Ol’ Blue Eyes, a female Colombian spider monkey, who has lived in Fota Wildlife Park in Cork for the last 19 years, turns 42 this month.

And park chiefs are set to celebrate for two reasons — her species’ average lifespan in the wild is just 24 years old, and this birthday will make her the oldest monkey in the wildlife park.

The popular animal, renowned for her striking blue eyes, has one of the most fascinating back stories of all the park’s animals.

She was originally caught in the wild as an infant — a practice which would be frowned upon now.

The young monkey was found clinging to the body of her dead mother and faced an uphill battle for survival in her early days at Chester Zoo in England.

She came to Fota Wildlife Park in 1993 where she has spent many happy years swinging around her enclosure with her pals Batty, Arnold, Choco and Shakira.

The Colombian spider monkey is normally found in Colombia and Panama and lives in forests.

Its prehensile, extremely flexible tail, which acts as an extra limb, has a hairless patch on the tip that is used for grip.

This hairless patch is unique in its markings, just like the human fingerprint.

Fruit makes up 80% of the spider monkey’s diet, which also includes leaves, nuts, seeds, bark, insects, and flowers.