Some cheeky new residents of a Sunshine Coast zoo are entertaining visitors with their hilarious antics.
Six male squirrel monkeys have settled into their new habitat after moving to Wildlife HQ last month.
Twelve-year-olds Jimini and Nino, along with two-year-olds Kuzco, Pacha, Miho and Tico, have wowed keepers and guests with their enthusiasm since their arrival.
They came from Auckland Zoo, via Adelaide Zoo.
“It’s been a long time coming,” senior zookeeper Sue Tonga said.
“We’ve wanted to have squirrel monkeys for an incredibly long time and finally, these six boys became available.
“They’re amazing. They’re so confident and cheeky and active.
“They play a lot with each other, to the point of wrestling.
“They have little play fights on their platforms and on the ground.”
Ms Tonga said the spritely mammals were bold and unique.
“For such a small animal, they have a big personality,” she said.
“Some days when we go in (to the habitat), they want to check our pockets and they might try and take our jewellery.
“They’re just curious about everything around them.
“They’ll check out phones and cameras. They play with your hair. They are just super interactive and are a lot of fun.
“They’ve got adorable little faces and they raise their eyebrows at you too.”
She said squirrel monkeys were quite smart.
“They actually have the largest brain-to-body mass among primates, so they are very intelligent for their size.”
Ms Tonga said the monkeys were enjoying their new home.
“We transformed one of our older exhibitions into a habitat for them and it’s great, because the forest is right behind them, so it creates a beautiful natural environment for them.”
Squirrel monkeys are native to Central and South America and live in family groups from 15 members to hundreds of members.
Males and females generally live separately, only meeting during the mating season.
They’re only about 25cm to 35cm tall and they weigh just one kilogram.
They’re called squirrel monkeys because of their behaviour – leaping between trees like squirrels.
They have a relatively long lifespan of between 25 to 30 years.
Visitors to the zoo have the chance to get up close and personal with the little ones, to meet them and learn more about them.
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Meanwhile, the zoo will also celebrate its birthday during the holidays.
“This will be our eighth year of being open at The Big Pineapple,” Ms Tonga said.
“We’ve come from very humble beginnings to what it is today, so we’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved during that time.”
Wildlife HQ opened in November 2013, and many of the animals relocated from Alma Park Zoo, which was closing.
Wildlife HQ Zoo fun
Where: 76 Nambour Connection Road, Woombye.
When: Open daily from 9am to 4pm, with the last entry at 3pm.
Entry: Adults $39, children $25, seniors $32, under-3s free, family $109.
For more information on the squirrel monkeys, displays, encounters and the zoo, see Wildlife HQ Zoo.
