Critically endangered Roloway monkey gives birth following surgery at Chester Zoo
Successful veterinary care saves mother's foot from amputation
Masaya, a 15-year-old roloway monkey at Chester Zoo, has given birth to a new daughter, Lagertha, just months after undergoing pioneering surgery to save her foot from amputation.
The critically endangered monkey had a mass removed from her foot last summer in an operation conducted by zoo vets and surgeons from the University of Liverpool's Small Animal Teaching Hospital.
The procedure may never have been attempted on a roloway monkey before, yet the team successfully preserved all but one of Masaya's toes.
Masaya's health and subsequent birth are significant for her species, as fewer than two thousand roloway monkeys remain in the wild.
Pioneering surgery and recovery
Prior to surgery, Masaya had recurring foot problems after arriving at Chester Zoo in 2023.
The zoo's veterinary team faced challenges with diagnostics and ultimately pursued a CT scan at Liverpool, leading to the decision for surgery.
Charlotte Bentley, Veterinary Officer at Chester Zoo's Animal Health Centre, said:
“It’s not every day you take a monkey to vet school... and I'm just glad we were able to do something for her."
Rachel Burrow, a vet and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, noted the importance of the surgery:
“This was the last chance to save Masaya's foot before amputation. It's great to see the surgery was a success."
Significance for the Roloway monkey species
The birth of Lagertha, Masaya's third daughter, is celebrated by primate experts and is vital for the species' conservation.
Zoe Edwards, primate keeper at the zoo, praised Masaya's recovery and parenting:
“Masaya's foot has healed so well... Lagertha is already curious about the roloway monkey habitat."
With this successful surgery, Masaya remains a key figure in the European Endangered Species Programme, which aims to ensure the survival of roloway monkeys threatened by habitat loss and poaching in their native Ghana and Ivory Coast.
Masaya and Lagertha can be seen along with four other monkeys at Chester Zoo.