A lot of monkey business is going on at the Houston Zoo during the holiday season.
Since Nov. 1, three different species of primates have given birth to darling offspring, and all are reportedly doing well.
Most recently, the hugely pregnant mandrill Louise delivered baby girl Annabelle on Nov. 29. Mandrills are known for their striking facial features, including blue-colored ridges on the sides of their muzzles and a brilliant red stripe down the middle. The prominent muzzle ridges can already be seen on Annabelle.
Goeldi's monkeys usually have just one baby at a time, and Mom carries it for a month before Dad joins in to help.
Guests can watch Louise cuddling and caring for Annabelle at the Wortham World of Primates.
In mid-November, along came a young female Goeldi's monkey to parents Peach and Andy, who had not been successful in conceiving in the past. Zoo caregivers discovered the brand-new little girl on her mother's back: A jet-black infant barely distinguishable in the parent's fur but with a tiny face peaking out from the safety of Mom.
Goeldi's monkeys usually have just one baby at a time, and Mom carries it for a month before Dad joins in to help. The sweet girl is to be named in the near future.
The zoo staff first went bananas in early November when a De Brazza's monkey was born to Amelia, who had just given birth to her first baby, Ruby, in January. The little one, also still to be named, is a stunning gold color and has started leaving her mother to explore the yard.
The expanding De Brazza's family lives in the Wortham World of Primates too.
The newest mandrill at the Houston Zoo: Baby Annabelle with her mother, Louise.
