Rare Colobus Monkey Born at Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek

You'll be able to visit "Usi" this Spring!

Binder Park Zoo announces the birth of a rare colobus monkey born on April 16, 2015.

Zookeepers named the new male arrival Usi which is Swahili for eyebrows, a name chosen due to his very impressive eyebrows at birth.

Usi’s parents are mother Azizi, born at Binder Park Zoo in 2006, and 7 year old father Christopher, who came to reside at the Zoo in 2012. Azizi had very poor parenting skills so Usi was hand raised by the animal care staff. For several months the dedicated staff came in to feed Usi every three hours, sometimes spending the night to catch the midnight and 3 am shifts. It was challenging work but very rewarding to watch Usi grow and eventually thrive. At 7 months old Usi has been successfully reintroduced to his parents and the colobus troop and he is doing very well. Zoo visitors can see him on exhibit this spring.

Usi is the second baby colobus monkey born at Binder Park Zoo; Usi’s mother was the first born at the Zoo in 2006. With this new addition, Binder Park Zoo now has a troop of five colobus monkeys.

In honor of this special addition, the Zoo is offering for a limited time, a special Colobus Baby Adopt package.  For $45, adopt a baby colobus in honor of a loved one and receive a plush colobus baby, an official A.D.O.P.T. certificate, name on the Zoo’s Honor Roll, animal fact sheet and a photograph of Usi. For more information, visit www.binderparkzoo.org.