Fota welcomes female colobus monkey Freya to Cork

Fota Wildlife Park announced the arrival of Freya, a new female Black and white colobus monkey who came from Zoo La Palmyre, France. Pictures: Darragh Kane

Fota Wildlife Park has welcomed a new female colobus monkey to the facility in Cork.

Four-year-old Freya came from Zoo La Palmyre in France a part of a European ex-situ breeding programme.

Lead ranger at Fota, Teresa Power, said the park is delighted to welcome Freya as ex-situ breeding programmes are essential for species survival.

"We hope that Freya will breed with the dominant male colobus, Tom," she said.

"Although listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as 'least concern', the black and white colobus is popular for its unique coat and has been hunted for centuries because of this.

"The Black and white colobus’ native African habitat is threatened by agricultural developments and timber production."

A native of Kenya in Africa the black and white colobus live high up in the forest canopy and are herbivorous, eating leaves fruit flowers and twigs.

Freya will be joined by three other females - Nia, Kimani and Massassi - from Slovakia in the coming months.

She can be seen acclimatising to her new surroundings at Fota in the colobus monkey house just inside the main entrance to the park.

The original group of colobus monkeys was made up of bachelors who arrived in Fota from Belfast Zoo in 2010.

A native of Kenya in Africa the black and white colobus live high up in the forest canopy and are herbivorous, eating leaves, fruit, flowers and twigs.

Fota Wildlife Park participates in European Endangered Species Breeding Programmes (EEP) for several animal species, including the cheetah, black and white ruffed lemurs, European bison and simitar-horned oryx.