And baby makes six

The oohs and ahhs should be a giveaway that he is somewhere close by, but at last count there were only five monkeys performing a balancing act on the towering tree limb above.

And then pops a snow-white head out from the side of his mama -- as if he knows this is his cue -- and he does what looks like a pirouette of sorts and stops, awaiting applause.

The boatload of onlookers -- whose necks are straining and craning to watch the show above -- seem to hold their collective breaths. The showboatman bounces down the limb until the silence is broken with laughter and the whispering of "How cute."

It's just the way people react when there's a new baby at the zoo.

"It's quite exciting when there's a birth at the zoo," says Christine Porter, public relations director for Caribbean Gardens.

And this baby, a black-and-white male colobus monkey born Sept. 29, is the third in the last year for Caribbean Gardens: The Zoo in Naples. Quite a feat for any zoo, whose aim is to have as many genetically strong species as possible.

"We've been very successful in our breeding," says Porter.

All of the zoo's colobus monkeys are part of the Species Survival Plan, a program orchestrated by the American Zoological Association. Among other responsibilities, survival plan coordinators create a studbook with the genetic background of all the individual animals in participating zoos across the country. With these records, the coordinator of the colobus survival plan makes breeding recommendations for the long-term genetic health of the species.

There are 212 zoos across the nation that are part of the zoological association.

"We're in the top 10 percent of zoos," Porter says.

And she knows her stuff. She's a wildlife biologist who not only does public relations for the zoo, but is also a stud bookkeeper. So she's familiar with what it takes to make sure a strong species continues.

"Our male's a good male," she says and smiles like a proud mother. There are many zoos that have had to switch out male and female monkeys because of genetics or just the mere fact they didn't take to each other.

It ends up being a group effort when a birth like the newest colobus occurs, she says. For instance, the two adult females at the zoo came from two different zoos -- Brookfield, Ill. and Hogle, Utah.

"Basically, you put them together and hope nature takes its course," Porter says.

Of the three babies that have been born over the last year at Caribbean Gardens, the oldest girl (born Dec. 19, 2002) has fully turned color and the middle girl (born May 8) has almost turned. The littlest boy is still white, as it was at birth. The older babies even have names -- Johari and Akara. The littlest one is still awaiting naming.

That sometimes takes a while, Porter says. First the zoo has to decide who gets the honors. "Sometimes it's who's the keeper who noticed the baby first," she adds.

Although some colobus species are endangered, this black-and-white species is not currently listed as such. But threats including habitat loss and hunting are problems with these black-and-white colobus native to Central Africa. Their beautiful pelts -- which almost look skunk-like --have even been used as ornamental trim for clothing as well as wall hangings.

QUICK FACTS

Name: Colobus guereza Description: Colobus monkeys have a sleek, black coat highlighted by white hair around the face, a white mantle (or cape) and a long, horse-like white tail. Young are all white. Weight is around 15 to 20 pounds. Diet: Colobus monkeys are leaf-eaters. They can consume about a quarter of their body weight in leaves a day. Somewhat similar to a cow, they have a chambered stomach with special bacteria that helps them process plant material. Excess methane from this fermentation is sometimes belched in another monkey's face as a friendly gesture. Gestation: About 6 months Range: Central Africa Habitat: Uppermost branches of tropical forests, woodlands and wooded grassland (where it may travel on the ground), including lowlands and high elevations; most abundant in secondary forest or along rivers. Lifespan: About 20 years Predators: Africa's crowned hawk eagles will sometimes grab juveniles, although resident males will rush eagles to prevent this. Today, vehicles threaten some populations as monkeys run across roads that too are wide to cross by jumping tree to tree. Lightweight bridges created for the monkeys have been effective in reducing the problem in coastal areas of Kenya. Source: Caribbean Gardens

"It's just as white as snow with a little pink face," says Capt. Lou, as he points up to the tree the baby is perched in with his family. Capt. Lou is the leader of a recent sunny Sunday boat expedition into the zoo's brackish water of Lake Victoria and around the primate islands. "Every day he gets a little darker and a little darker."

The colobus' look like any other happy family, mommies and babies hanging about the tree tops together, just enjoying a fine Southwest Florida day.

It's days like this that Porter jokes may help with the monkeys' fertility. "It's a healthy life," she says and laughs.

But seriously, she says "The hope is to keep these animals long enough to (someday) re-introduce them to the wild."

Until that day, the newest baby boy and his family of colobus monkeys can be seen at the 52-acre Caribbean Gardens on the Primate Expedition cruise.