Drusillas zoo in Sussex welcomes critically endangered female monkey

A zoo in Sussex is celebrating the successful introduction of a critically endangered monkey.

Ahsoka, a Sulawesi crested black macaque, arrived at Drusillas Zoo in November from Chester Zoo.

She has been transferred as part of the international breeding programme for the species.

She joins an existing breeding pair, Moteck and Lintang in hopes that another 'wife' will boost Moteck's confidence and encourage mating behaviours.

Male macaques are happiest when they have more than one female in their 'harem'.

The macaque population has declined by 80% over the last 40 years.

The species is classified as being under the highest level of threat to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature so Drusilla keepers feel privileged to have Ahsoka under their care.

Zoo Animal Manager, Mark Kenward says: “Ahsoka is a very sweet, gentle girl and we’re starting to see her settle in and find her place within the group.

"Macaque introductions can be tricky as the species adheres to very strict hierarchal rules, so our team have been very closely monitoring the behaviour of all three.

"Taking turns on ‘macaque watch’ and reporting back on the body language we’re observing.

“The dominant male in any macaque group, in our case Moteck, needs to very quickly assert his authority over new females so there’s often a bit of a ‘testing’ phase where he may seem like he’s being a little rough.

"But this is totally normal behaviour to help him establish whether the new arrival will slot into place.

"After this initial testing, we have seen lots of lip-smacking and grunting– good signs of friendly communication – and Lintang and Ahsoka have been mutually grooming each other which is perfect.

"The group now seems very calm around each other and we’re looking forward to watching the bonds form between them.”

The introduction will continue to be monitored for some time by the Zoo’s expert team, so they can observe any potential warning signs of upset in the sensitive hierarchy.

Drusillas Zoo Business Manager, Sue Woodgate, says: "It's very exciting to welcome Ahsoka and to see positive signs of her settling in.

"A successful introduction is not only cause to celebrate for our own team, but for the wider zoo community too, as we all work collaboratively on our conservation efforts to ensure the future survival of endangered species such as this.

"We feel very privileged to be able to care for another macaque and have everything crossed that we’ll be welcoming a baby this year to boost the population further."

The main threat to their survival is over-hunting for meat.

In Indonesia, the macaque is considered a delicacy and is often served for special occasions.

Deforestation is another major threat to the species, with large areas of their habitat now being cleared for coconut plantations, garden plots and roads.

Ahsoka’s arrival will allow both visitors and keepers at Drusillas to gain an insight into how macaques live in groups, raising awareness of the species.

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