Baby spider monkey raised by humans
A baby spider monkey is being raised by humans at Melbourne Zoo
This adorable baby spider monkey is called Estela, and keepers at Melbourne Zoo are working around the clock to raise her.
Estela’s mother, Sunshine, was unable to care for her, so staff at the zoo in Australia have stepped in to help raise the baby.
A team of primate keepers have been taking it in turns to provide 24-hour care for the monkey over the last six weeks. Primate Supervisor at the zoo, Jess McKelson, explains that the job has been pretty big: “Keeping Estela alive has been a big challenge and she has had ups and downs over this time, with several infections that have been a real threat to her survival.”
Luckily Estela is getting stronger every day. She weighed just 417 grams when she was born but has grown and now weighs 600 grams.
Jess says "We have also been taking Estela for short visits with her grandmother, Sonja, and we hope that as the baby progresses Sonja will be able to fill the mothering role."
Spider monkeys originate from South America and are one of the biggest monkeys found there. Estela was named after a similar Spanish word for star.
Reference: www.firstenglishnews.co.uk
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
What is a spider monkey?
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