Meet the Columbus Zoo's newest, cutest primate

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- There's a new primate monkeying around the Congo Expedition at the Columbus Zoo.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed a new baby colobus monkey this week. The Zoo has not yet announced the baby's name, but it did confirm it is an adorable baby boy.

The baby was born to Bernadette and Sekani, and is the pair's second child. The new baby also has a half-bother in Jif, whose father is also Sekani. Jif was the first baby born at the Zoo in 2022, and although the new colobus was not the first baby born in 2025, he and Jif share January birthdays.

Colobus monkeys spend most of their time in trees and are highly social, living in groups of eight to 15, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. According to the Columbus Zoo, colobus comes from the Greek word "kolobus," meaning mutated, due to their significantly reduced thumbs, which help them grip branches as they leap through trees.

Out of the animals in the Congo Expedition, colobus monkeys are among the more likely to have access outside. Guests may have an opportunity to see the new baby during milder weather in its outdoor habitat, the zoo said. Typically, the zoo said, that is when temperatures are above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.