New Guenons Debut At Greenville Zoo
June 6, 2012
Rare forest monkeys arrive at zoo as part of future breeding plan
GREENVILLE, SC – June 6, 2012 – The Greenville Zoo recently welcomed a pair of Schmidt’s spot-nosed guenons. Stewie, a 4-year-old male, from Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa and Zoe, a 15-year-old female, from the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago are on display and can be seen exploring their new habitat in the Primate Exhibit. The rare forest monkeys are only represented in 10 zoos in North America.
The guenons’ arrival to the Greenville Zoo was prompted by a breeding recommendation by the Population Management Plan (PMP) Program. The mission of an AZA PMP Program is to manage and conserve non-threatened or endangered captive populations. There are currently over 300 PMP Programs, each of which is responsible for developing Population Management Breeding and Transfer Recommendations that help maintain a healthy, genetically diverse and demographically stable population.
Guenons are medium-sized African monkeys with long tails and large cheek pouches. They are some of the most colorful, graceful, and lively monkeys. Unlike other tree-dwelling and leaf-eating monkeys, guenons have more varied diets including fruits, seeds, and young leaves. They use their cheek pouches to store extra food in as they forage. The pouches can hold almost as much as their stomachs.
About the Greenville Zoo
Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), Greenville Zoo is rated one of the best tourist attractions in South Carolina, attracting over 270,000 people annually. Operated by the City of Greenville, the 14-acre facility features wildlife from around the world including giraffes, monkeys, giant tortoises and elephants. Visitors can also enjoy one of the zoo’s most popular exhibits, the Reptile Building, which is home to a variety of lizards, frogs, turtles and snakes.
The Greenville Zoo is open seven days a week, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Beginning Monday, April 2 and running through September 30, the zoo will extend its hours of operation to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering guests an opportunity to take advantage of cooler mornings. Zoo entry ticket sales will close at 4:15 p.m. Admission to the Greenville Zoo is $7.75 for adults and $4.50 for children (ages 3 to 15). For more information about the Greenville Zoo, visit www.greenvillezoo.com.
