Human babies cling to teddy bears. For a baby monkey at Johannesburg Zoo, it’s a pink blanket.
On April 20, a mandrill was born at the zoo. But now, without the comfort of his mother, the little guy never lets the small blanket get too far away.
Bungha is the first child of Thandi, a mandrill that was brought up by the zoo’s staff.
Because Thandi was raised by the zookeepers and not her own mother, she lacks the necessary skills to care for her new baby. She battled to breastfeed and carry the baby mandrill after its birth. The zoo, fearing the baby would die, removed him from his mother’s care.
So Bungha, whose name means “hard as a rock – he will overcome any difficulties he faces”, is now the child of humans.
Primate curator Katherine Visser keeps Bungha’s cot in her office and has had an influx of visitors since he took up residence. The visitors provide the stimulation the mandrill needs to develop.
Bungha also needs the tender care that any human baby requires. Zoo staff take turns feeding him, changing his nappy and taking him home at night. He needs to be fed formula every three hours, and also, like a human baby, may wake up in the middle of the night and need comforting.
Visser said she and the other home caretakers worry about the time and responsibility of having Bungha stay at their house overnight. With feedings every three hours and the need for attention, the baby can be a handful. “They need to bond as much as possible,” she said.
As the mandrill grows, he will slowly be integrated into his community.
So far he has been reintroduced to his mother, under supervision, and the zoo staff are working to make sure he is slowly accepted into his family and community.
Once the baby can fend for himself, he will be placed in his community full-time.
Mandrills are the largest of all monkeys, and Bungha will one day grow to be twice the weight of his mother.
But for now he’s enjoying his time in Visser’s office. - The Star