Prospect Park Zoo Welcomes New Hamadryas Baboon Baby

Prospect Park Zoo welcomes its newest arrival to the Animal Lifestyles building. 

The Wildlife Conservation Society's Prospect Park Zoo & Aquarium, in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, is home to over 100 species of animals, and to the delight of the workers and visitors, a new arrival has been announced. A Hamadryas baboon (papio hamadryas) was born to mother, Kaia (12 years old) and father, Bole (23 years old) on October 22. The infant, a male, is ready to make his grand debut to the zoo’s visitors. Kaia has given birth once before at the zoo.

This type of baboon is typically found in northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. They live amongst the rocky cliffs in large groups consisting of a male leader and several females. They are social creatures and share bonding time by grooming one another regularly.

The Prospect Park Zoo breeds the Hamadryas baboon in conjunction with Species Survival Plan (SSP) created by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This helps maintain and grow certain species’ populations in affiliated zoos.