Primate of the Day

Day 9

These are Bonobos. Bonobos are a small species living only in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are famous for their human-like appearance and how often they have sex. Bonobos have sex multiple times a day for many reasons, including: excitement, to make alliances, and to relieve tension and avoid conflict. All combinations are possible with all genders and ages. They are also one of the only primates to have sex face-to-face.

Day 8

This is a Gelada baboon. These guys live in Ethiopia and are known for their hairy manes and red triangle on their chests. They can be extremely agressive and live in groups of up to 100.

Day 7

This is a De Brazza’s Monkey, named after Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza. This is a species of Guenon, the most common monkeys in Africa.

Day 6

The robust loris (also called slow loris) may look cute but it is the most poisonous primate in the world! When its saliva mixes with sweat secreted from its brachial (upper arm) glands, it becomes extremely poisonous. Just one bite will leave predators in anaphylactic shock and could kill a human in under 12 hrs without treatment!

Day 5

This is a Muriqui. They are brachiators and have longer arms than legs from all the time they spend in the trees. They also defecate every hour, and their feces supposedly smells like cinnamon!

Day 4

Japanese Macaques live the highest north of all primates except for humans. In the winter they enjoy swimming and relaxing in natural hot springs that are 110 degrees Fahrenheit. We think that they have learned to do this by watching humans!

Day 3

This is a capuchin. These are new world monkeys found in Central America and South America.

Day 2

This is a Western Lowland Gorilla. Western Lowland Gorillas are beautiful and powerful creatures, the males can be up to 350 pounds! Though these are the first species of Gorillas that we have known about, we know the least about them because they are the hardest to habituate (getting them used to human presence), and the hide very easily in the dense vegetation. Their faces are so expressive and beautiful!