Three squirrel monkey infants bring new life to Schönbrunn Zoo

Three young squirrel monkeys are adding to the activity at Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, ORF reports. Born in September, the infants still spend much of their time clinging to their mothers’ fur and riding on their backs, but they are increasingly venturing away to investigate nearby objects, including small branches.

Male squirrel monkeys do not help raise the young. Other females in the group assist with their care, sometimes carrying the infants on their backs and taking them to their mothers to nurse, zookeeper Melanie Tötzl said. The young are nursed for about six months. From around two months old, they also begin eating solid food, including vegetables, some fruit, and animal protein such as curd cheese, eggs and insects.

On sunny autumn days, the infants can be seen and heard with the rest of the group in the outdoor enclosure of the zoo’s historic monkey house. Squirrel monkeys are highly communicative and live in groups of up to 200 in South American rainforests, the zoo said.

Zoo director Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck said research suggests some of the monkeys’ communication resembles a dialogue. The animals use short contact calls known as “chucks” to exchange sounds, in a pattern that can resemble a question-and-answer exchange. Monkeys that prefer one another as social partners exchange these calls more often and respond more quickly. The infants are also vocal, making different calls when seeking their mothers or playing.