Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park is celebrating the birth of a baby mandrill monkey! Weighing less than three pounds, the pint-sized baby girl has been named Saffron.
Saffron could almost fit in the palm of your hand, but despite her current size, mandrills are the largest species of monkeys in the world. Saffron could grow up to 25 pounds in just a few years. For the time being though, Saffron is perfectly content clinging tightly to her mom Hazel and nursing in the treetops of their habitat on Kilimanjaro Safaris.
The bulk of parental responsibilities in mandrill social structures lies with mom, and Hazel has been sweet and nurturing since Saffron arrived into the world on July 24. Much like a human soothes a baby by rocking it back and forth, Hazel often grooms Saffron to comfort her. Saffron’s sister Ivy has yet to hold her due to the bond between she and mom being inseparable.
Like Rafiki, “The Lion King” character, mandrills are well known for their vibrant colors, including brilliant shades of blue, red, and pink on their faces and yellow manes. Their colorations and patterns are unique, and no two strands of hair are the same. Similar to her namesake, Saffron will develop her unique and bright coloration once she fully matures in three to four years.
The coloration of the mandrills is not limited to their front, they are just as colorful on their backside, too, which aids the horde – or family group – follow each other as they travel through the dense forests of Africa.
The new addition is great news for this vulnerable species as there are only about 4,000 mandrills remaining in the wilds of Africa.
Science and Environment collaborated with Durham University and Jane Goodall Institute to help rescued and rehabilitated mandrills return to their native habitats in the Republic of the Congo. Through the measuring of hormone levels, the science team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is able to verify that rehabilitated mandrills are not only thriving after being released but also extending the size of the family troop with the addition of two new babies.
Have you ever spotted the mandrill monkeys in the treetops on Kilimanjaro Safaris?