NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Barbara Russo – 718-265-3428; 917-494-5493 brusso@wcs.org

Max Pulsinelli – 718-220-5182; mpulsinelli@wcs.org

Photo Credit: Julie Larsen Maher © WCS

Video Credit: © WCS

WCS’s Prospect Park Zoo Debuts Hamadryas Baboon Infant

View video here: https://youtu.be/SzoetHKEWss

WCS Newsroom: http://newsroom.wcs.org/

@WCSNewsroom: https://twitter.com/WCSNewsroom

Brooklyn, N.Y. – Dec. 21, 2015 – A Hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) was born at WCS’s (Wildlife Conservation Society) Prospect Park Zoo and is making his public debut.  

Kaia, an 12-year-old female, gave birth to the male infant on October 22. Bole, a 23-year-old male, is the father. This is Kaia’s second birth at the zoo.

The Prospect Park Zoo breeds Hamadryas baboons as part of the Species Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative breeding program administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) designed to enhance the genetic viability and demographic stability of animal populations in accredited zoos. The two baboons born at the zoo last year have been sent to another AZA-accredited zoo as recommended by the SSP where they will eventually start their own breeding troop.

Hamadryas baboons are native to northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. They are large, ground-dwelling primates that are found in rocky areas and cliffs. They live in troops that typically include one dominant male and many females. They are highly social and spend much of their time grooming one another, a behavior that maintains and reinforces social bonds within the troop.

The Hamadryas baboon exhibit is located in the Animal Lifestyles building which is also home to tamarins and marmosets (species of New World monkeys), various bird species and Pallas cats. During inclement weather, the baboons have access to their night quarters. Mother and baby baboon may take shelter inside if it is too rainy or cold.

For more information or to speak with a WCS expert, contact Barbara Russo at 917-494-5493, 718-265-3428, or brusso@wcs.org.

The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Prospect Park Zoo – $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 65 and older, $5 for kids 3-12, free for children under 3. Zoo hours are 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. weekdays, and to 5:30 P.M. on weekends and holidays, April through October. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. November through March. The Prospect Park Zoo is located at 450 Flatbush Avenue in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. For further information, call 718-399-7339 or visit www.prospectparkzoo.com.

WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society)

MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in nearly 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: newsroom.wcs.org Follow: @WCSNewsroom. For more information: 347-840-1242.

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