Ohio’s Columbus Zoo welcomes baby mandrill

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new baby primate has arrived at Ohio’s Columbus Zoo.

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According to WSYX and WCMH, the attraction announced Wednesday that mandrill Malaika and her partner, Mosi, welcomed a male infant Oct. 16. The unnamed newborn is the pair’s first offspring, the zoo said in a Facebook post.

“Our care team reports that Malaika and her bundle of joy are doing great,” the post read. “Malaika has significant maternal behaviors: She is attentive, protective and fits in well socially with the rest of her troop. ... Dad, Mosi, is respectful of Malaika and their baby, and his role is to observe from a distance.”

The zoo described the baby as strong and curious, adding that he “nurses often.”

“We can expect the baby to venture off from mom when she sees fit,” the Facebook post read. “Like other infants, the baby mandrill sleeps and eats often, and since he’s holding on to Malaika, he has easy access to food at all times.”

Although the mandrills can access their publicly viewable yard when weather permits, the animals “always have access to their inside rooms” – meaning visitors may not be able to see the newborn, according to the post.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature considers mandrills vulnerable. The Old World monkeys are found in Cameroon, Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, according to the organization’s website.

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