San Diego Zoo welcomes first Francois’ langur baby in five years
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The San Diego Zoo’s Wildlife Care team announced the arrival of a special new infant, marking an exciting turning point for an endangered species in a release Friday.
The zoo announced the birth of its first François’ langur infant since 2019. The mother, 11-year-old Meili, was an endangered François’ langur who was under pregnancy observation for several months before she gave birth to her new baby on April 12. The zoo said she is the first monkey at the facility trained for ultrasound.
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Meili is also the mother of 7-year-old Chi, who lives in a separate habitat at the zoo. (See photos of Meili and the new baby below).
Wildlife experts say François’ langurs are native to southwestern China and northeastern Vietnam. They are born with bright orange hair which turns black as they grow older.
Deemed “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to the threat of hunting, habitat loss and agricultural expansion, there are currently only about 2,000 of the species left.
“Our new infant increases the total to 71 animals at 16 accredited Association of Zoos and Aquariums [institutions] nationwide,” said Joe Milo, a senior wildlife care specialist at the zoo. “Given their low population numbers, this birth is crucial for the species’ survival, both in human care and globally.”
The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been working to preserve the survival of the species since it first introduced François’ langurs in 1980.
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