Say hello to Jasper! Fort Worth Zoo announces second mandrill monkey birth of the year

The Fort Worth Zoo has welcomed its second mandrill birth of the year.

A male monkey named Jasper was born on Sept. 13 to second-time parents Scarlett and J.J., zoo officials announced Monday. Jasper is the younger brother of sister Ruby, who was born in January and was the zoo’s first mandrill birth since 1995.

Jasper was named after the red gemstone as a reference to his mother and sister, while the “J” is a nod to his father, zoo officials said. Jasper weighed about 2 pounds at birth, which is around the weight of a pineapple.

Jasper and mom Scarlett have a strong bond that the rest of the troop has allowed to flourish, zoo officials said.

The new family of four are all spending time together within the habitat. Mandrill babies usually nurse for six to 12 months and remain close to their mother even after weaning off nursing.

Zoo officials said Jasper is already showing signs of independence, such as exploring, but is still staying relatively close to Scarlett. Ruby is stepping into her protective big sister role and has been seen standing over her baby brother.

Prior to Jasper and Ruby this year, there had only been two mandrill births in Fort Worth Zoo history. A female was born in 1992 and a male followed suit in 1995.

The mandrill is listed as “vulnerable” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species.

Mandrills are found in West-Central Africa in a few countries such as Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Republic of the Congo. Mandrill populations are threatened by habitat destruction and illegal poaching, according to the IUCN.

Both Jasper and Ruby’s births contribute to a diverse, genetically healthy population of mandrills living in U.S. zoos that will ensure the species’ survival for future generations, zoo officials said.

Jasper can now be seen alongside his family in the “World of Primates” habitat at the Fort Worth Zoo.