On the 4th October 2013 Kaiala the Red backed bearded Saki monkey gave birth to a single offspring, sired by Karlos. The young Saki has since been named Kato by his keepers who have now confirmed that he is a male. Sadly after a few days, both parents were lacking the maternal instinct to take care of Kato so it was decided that the best thing for the youngster was for him to be taken for hand rearing.

Since the descision to hand rear Kato was made six months ago, the young Saki monkey has come on leaps and bounds and has been successfully reintroduced to his parents. He has lived in the complex next to his parents for the past six months being cared for by his keepers but he is now weaned. At the early stages of reintroduction Kato and the parents had been left to interact together during the day but were separated at night. However, the trio now appear fully integrated and are becoming a strong family unit.

Keepers had been looking after Kato day and night by feeding and trying their best to teach Kato the skills of a Saki monkey. Hand rearing is not an easy decision to make but sometimes it is necessary to ensure that the youngster has the best possible chance of surviving. 

The Red backed bearded Saki monkey comes from Brazil; French Guiana; Guyana; Suriname; Venezuela. They live in various types of forest and are mostly fruit-eaters but will also eat insects. Their status is currently least concern as listed by the IUCN red list.

Visit the Saki monkey family at the Heart of the Amazon, next to Penguin Shores.