Chester Zoo welcomes rare new monkeys for the first time in 50 years

Chester Zoo has welcomed a family of rare Roloway monkeys, one of the world’s most endangered primates, marking the first time the species has been housed at the zoo since 1974.

The four monkeys, described by zoo staff as “incredibly special,” will play a crucial role in an international conservation breeding programme aimed at saving the species from extinction.

Once found in the lush forests of West Africa, Roloway monkeys have been propelled to the very brink of extinction in the last 30 years. Habitat loss, driven by deforestation and agricultural expansion in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, along with poaching for their fur and meat, has seen them almost disappear altogether.

As a result, there are just a few hundred remaining on the planet. The world’s authority on the state of nature, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has listed the species as critically endangered – the highest conservation priority in need of urgent attention.

The monkeys are now inside the top 20 of the world’s most endangered primates and conservationists at the zoo say they will do “everything possible” to ensure the species survives for future generations.

Mike Jordan, Director of Animal and Plants at the zoo, said:

“Roloway monkeys are very, very rare and it’s a real privilege to join the international effort to safeguard these wonderful monkeys. The family of four, made up of mum Masaya and dad Grizu, along with their two young sons Anum and Ilo, have settled in nicely and can now be seen exploring the treetops in their new home.

“In the last few decades alone, Roloway monkeys have experienced a devastating crash in numbers, losing around 90% of its population. Because of the rapid rate at which they’ve disappeared, they’re also rarely found in conservation zoos. In total there are just eight individuals being cared for in only two zoos in the UK – including the four here in Chester – so they really are incredibly special.

“With these charismatic monkeys now facing imminent extinction in the wild, it will be the role of conservation zoos like ours to do everything possible to help them to recover. We’re hopeful that, with the skills and expertise of primatologists here in Chester, this family unit will continue to grow and play a vital role in their continued survival on the planet.”

Roloway monkeys are striking looking primates with a dark body, white chest and distinctive white ruffs around their faces. In Ghana, they’re called “Efiai aighéhi” which translates to “the monkey with a white beard”.