Mazel Tov! Jerusalem Zoo Welcomes Mysterious New Addition

First baby langur monkey was born at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, but staff still doesn’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.

By Yakir Benzion, United With Israel

Congratulations are in order for the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, where a new baby langur was born last week, the zoo proudly announced Monday.

Newly arrived in the Shapiro Family orangutan exhibit, this cute addition has yet to be named because zookeepers still do not know its gender as its mother is being very protective.

The langur (Trachypithecus auratus) is found in and near the rain forests on the island of Java and several nearby islands in the South Pacific. It is a species of monkey with an exceptionally long tail that is almost twice its body length.

Javan langur infants are born with coats of orange fur similar to orangutans, but the fur usually gets darker as they age. Most Javan langurs have glossy black coats with brown on the legs and belly, but some individuals remain orange, like the mother in the picture at the top of this article.

The infants develop quickly and are often independent within their first year of life, with the females being the primary caregivers for the infants. The langurs are known to also care for infants of other females within the group.

This new baby in Jerusalem is being looked after by both the mother and a black-coated “aunty.”

Located near the Malha shopping mall, the Zoo is known for having in its collection most of the 130 animals mentioned in the Bible.

Also new at the Biblical Zoo are the results of the recent animal elections – the fourth time in the past two years that simultaneous elections were held at the Zoo on Election Day, which is a public holiday in Israel during which the site gets a lot of visitors.

This time, the big name animals went head to head.

As expected, and despite a small dietary scandal in the lead up to the vote (a lion devoured a rabbit in front of a visiting school group), the lion came in a roaring first place with 28% of the vote, maintaining the carnivores’ ruling coalition.

In second place were the elephants with 20% of the votes, and the kangaroos were a surprise newcomer in third place, with 15% of the vote.

The zoo advises visitors to keep their eyes out for these rising – or rather hopping – stars of the animal kingdom if Israel goes to a fifth election later this year.