MELBOURNE, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida zoo welcomed a new species of monkeys on Thursday, which are vulnerable to extinction.
The Brevard Zoo announced it is now home to two black-and-white Colobus monkeys. This species of primate is classified as vulnerable to extinction due to factors like habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as human predation in their native region of Central Africa.
Video captured by the zoo shows the monkeys, 7-year-old Naia, along with her sister, 6-year-old Zuba, as they explore their new environment.
The zoo said a male Colobus monkey is expected to join the duo in a few months.
Colobus monkeys are identified by their black and white coats and commonly live in dense rainforests that allow them to leap through trees and gorge on tasty greens.
The zoo also reported that there is a correlation between an abundance in Colobus monkeys in a location and the health of its ecosystem.