Colchester Zoo’s group of Gelada baboons have recently welcomed two new arrivals. The first being a young male born on the 15th July to mum Thandi, followed just a few days later on the 17th July by Keecha who gave birth to a healthy baby. Both are experienced mums and are two of the older females within the group.

We are just waiting to confirm the sex of Keecha’s baby then it will be time to give them both a name! If you have any name suggestions for these new arrivals share them with us on Facebook and we’ll pass them onto our keepers!

The youngsters will continue to cling to their mums for the majority of the day over the following weeks before gradually exploring their new home as they grow into infant baboons.  They are both healthy and well and can be seen at the Gelada Plateau next to our meerkats at Suricata Sands.

Geladas such as our new arrivals can grow to between 50-75cm long in the body and have a fairly long tail with females being much smaller than the males. Geladas live on the ground and even sleep on rocky ledges and cliffs.  They live in groups of several females and their young usually led by a large, mature male.

To find out how you can adopt one of our Gelada Baboons click here.