Zoo Observations // The Mandrill

We observed the mandrill at the zoo. It is also known as the Mandrillus Sphinx. It is found in the rain forests in western Central Africa. It is currently threatened because it is hunted for bushmeat. Commercial bushmeat hunters kill mandrills. As people convert rain forests for agriculture and industry, mandrills lose their homes.

Observations:

We watched a female mandrill sit on the edge of the habitat at bite at its leg and arm. It continuously bit and scratched its legs, looking around and seemingly attempt to put one of its legs behind its neck. This went on for a minute. Then, it would run in a circle around the tree and then sit back at the same spot to do the same thing. After 5 minutes of this, the mandrill would poop, take the poop, and inspect it for bugs and then mash it with its hands and smear it on a rock. It did it twice, ran around the tree, sat on a log and pooped in her hand only to smear it again on the log. Throughout this observation, we noticed that it would fling itself vigorously (hyper-like) running around the tree in the same direction at least 5 times. It usually returned back to the same edge of the habitat after making these rounds. We believe that it was bored.

Golden Monkey

Group Members: Bliss Montemayor, Serena Luu, Vanessa Nuanes

• Golden Snub-Nosed Monkeys are endemic to the mountainous forests of central and Southwest China. 
• Males have long canines and have golden guard hairs. They have light blue faces (that does not mean they're lacking oxygen).
• The females look alike except their nipples are easily visible. Subadult females are usually smaller in size. 
• Juveniles are quite small and their body is a light brown and turns reddish gold gradually. 
• Infants appear white in the sunlight and are a light brown color.
• Newborns are light gray to dark.

• Sex cannot be determined until the Golden Monkeys are subadults (3 to 4 years of age)
• They are found in temperature forests on mountains in four provinces in China: Gansue, Shaanxi, and Hubei
• Their home range changes depending on availability of food
• They live in multi-tier societies that consists of one adult male as the head and a number of females and their offspring
• Males are less social than the females, spending time alone at times to rest. 
• Females often form close relationships with other females
• Protecting young offspring is a group effort, as the females often help each other to care for the young
• If there is danger, the young are in the center of a circle of females and the males go to the place where the danger is to check it out
• They usually sleep closer to the ground to stay warm and away from the cold and wind that comes with sleeping higher up
• Females are sexually mature at 5 years old
• Males are sexually mature at around 5-7 years old
• Mating occurs throughout the year but peaks in October
• These monkeys eat lichens, young leaves, fruits or seeds, buds, mature leaves, herbs, bark, and flowers
• Their diet changes throughout the seasons and shows great correlation with food distribution on land 
• The golden monkey is endangered due to habitat lost
• Lichens are their biggest food source and dead trees have the greatest lichen coverage.