and last updated 2020-12-18 00:32:42-05
The Santa Barbara Zoo is welcoming two white-faced saki monkeys, the first of its kind at the zoo.
Three-year-old Calabaza came to the zoo from Miami, where he lived with his parents and two-year-old sister.
Two-year-old Penelope came from Glays Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.
Zoo officials say the two monkeys were matched by the Species Survival Plan and have a breeding recommendation.
âPenelope has settled in well and while sheâs still a bit shy, she has been opening up and starting to show her personality more and more,â said Kristen Wieners, zoological manager and training facilitator at the Santa Barbara Zoo. âCalabaza is very curious about everything and anything in his surroundings and is also quite the talker when he gets excited. We are in the process of introducing the two to each other, and so far things are going well.â
| 5:19 p.m.
Source: Jennifer Zacharias for the Santa Barbara Zoo
Three-year-old Calabaza is said to be very curious about his new digs. (Courtesy photo)
The Santa Barbara Zoo is the new home to Penelope and Calabaza, two white-faced saki monkeys. Calabaza, who is s three years old, came to the Santa Barbara Zoo from Zoo Miami, where he lived with his parents and one-year-old sister. Penelope is two years old and came from Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville, Texas.
The two monkeys were matched by the Species Survival Plan (SSP) managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and have a breeding recommendation.
White-faced saki monkey Penelope
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Zoo announced it is excited to welcome two new white-faced saki monkeys to its family.
Penelope and Calabaza are the first two of their kind to call the Santa Barbara Zoo home. The zoo explained that white-faced sakis are named for the male’s appearance which includes all black hair and a distinctive white face. Meanwhile, the females and their young have brownish-gray “salt-and-pepper” hair.
The primates are capable of leaping as far as 30 feet between tree branches and primarily live in the treetops of the South American rainforests.