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Bioparc Valencia has welcomed a new white-crowned mangabey, a medium-sized primate that communicates using its eyelids and is classed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

 

The cub is the tenth of its species to be born at the park, which takes part in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), the scheme that coordinates the breeding and conservation of threatened species in zoos across Europe. The animal care team confirmed that the youngster is doing well and has started to move around and explore the enclosure with its mother. The 12-year-old mum is looking after it, and the cub usually clings on to her when she's on the move.

 

The group also includes a 12-year-old male and three other females, two of whom were born at the park. They share the African jungle area with western lowland gorillas, who've shown plenty of interest in the new arrival. According to Bioparc Valencia, it's the only place in Europe where the two species live together in this type of enclosure. The cub joins other youngsters currently on show at the park, including drills, blesboks, elephants, chimpanzees and rhinos.

 

The mangabey's most recognisable feature is its white eyelids, which stand out sharply against its dark facial skin and also play a part in communication. Together with a range of vocalisations, eyelid movements help the monkeys stay in touch with one another and warn the group of possible threats. They have brown and grey fur with paler patches on the inside of their limbs, a slender build and a powerful jaw that can crack open the hard-shelled fruits that make up a key part of their diet, along with seeds, leaves and small invertebrates.

 

In the wild, the species is native to the forests of West Africa, where numbers have fallen sharply because of habitat loss and hunting. The Bioparc Foundation takes part in West African Primate Conservation Action (WAPCA), a project running in Ghana and Ivory Coast that protects endangered primates and their forests and involves local communities, which is seen as key to protecting habitats in the long term.

 

 

Image: Bioparc Valencia