TYLER, Texas — Editor's note: This video is from July 2021.
Caldwell Zoo welcomed a new addition to its family of animals last month: a baby colobus monkey.
On Facebook, the zoo shared a first glimpse of the black and white colobus monkey, who was born on Feb. 24 to parents Adanna and Pamba.
According to the Facebook post, it's too soon to tell if the young monkey is a boy or a girl but "there's a whole lot of cuteness."
"The happy family is enjoying the support of their troupe in their habitat in our African Section," the Caldwell Zoo statement read. "Black and white colobus were almost hunted to extinction, but thanks to conservation efforts, their numbers are improving. So, needless to say, we are thrilled to welcome the little one to our family."
The African Wildlife Foundation reports that hunting has led to the extermination of the colobus monkey in some areas and at one time, they were hunted for their fur to be used for dance costumes, hats and capes.
This species' biggest threat is habitat loss. As human populations grow, forests are cut down to make room for agriculture, settlements and roads, according to the AWF.