Tango: Ginger Monkey Baby at London Zoo (Picture Gallery)

Photo:zsl.org

A rare ginger monkey baby was born at ZSL London Zoo. Thanks to his bright orange color, the baby monkey has been nicknamed Tango.

Keepers at the Zoo were delighted when first-time mom Lu Lu, a rare Francois Langur monkey, gave birth to the ginger-haired baby on September 1st. While mom, Lu Lu, and dad Neo, have dark black coats, the baby Tango is covered head-to-toe in bright orange fur which is typical in offspring – making it quite tricky to see the family resemblance.

Mom Lu Lu, a rare Francois langur monkey, snuggles up with her ginger baby Tango.Photo:zsl.org

Zookeeper Kathryn Sanders said: “Baby Tango is currently rocking the redhead look, but it won’t actually be ginger for very long.” She added: “Its fur will begin to darken at around three months of age, and they are usually completely black by the time they reach six months old.”

Photo:zsl.org

The zoo has yet to find out whether the baby is male or female.The youngster spends most of its time snuggled up to mom, but in the same way the females behave in the wild, “auntie” Lee Lee also helps out with babysitting duties. Francois Langurs are one of the world’s rarest monkeys, and originate from northeast Vietnam and China. Classed as critically endangered, their populations are declining rapidly because of habitat loss.

Photo:zsl.org