Zoo Boise announced it will soon receive two female patas monkeys. After the death of one primate, the zoo wanted to find companions for the lone remaining male. The new animals will come from a zoo in Syracuse, NY.
Zoo Director Steve Burns says the arrival of the new monkeys is greatly anticipated.
“This is a good day at Zoo Boise," Burns says. "We’ve had some rough days here lately, but this is a good day."
One of the zoo’s two patas monkeys was found dead after a break-in in November. Michael Watkins of Weiser was arrested and charged in the case.
The new monkeys are sisters. One is 15-months-old and the other is 23-months-old. Burns says the pair will travel from New York to Boise in the next few weeks. The animals will be quarantined for the first month.
“We have also received a recommendation – a positive recommendation – to go ahead and breed these animals," Burns says. "The male and the 23-month-old are both of breeding age, and so I can’t make any promises but we’ll see what happens in that department.”
Burns says the zoo will build a new indoor/outdoor patas monkey exhibit. The Friends of Zoo Boise want to raise $209,000 for the exhibit that could open by late summer of next year.
Copyright 2012 Boise State Public Radio