Only males have the signature white face
White hair top head
20 to 25 cm*
Arboreal and diurnal, these monkeys live in small monogamous groups. Highly agile primates, they are capable of leaping up to 10 metres between branches and are known locally as "flying monkeys"
32 to 40 cm*
White chests and bellies
Long black fur
Named for their striking white hair, cotton-top tamarins have claw-like nails that help them jump between trees. Often born as twins
Life expectancy
14 years (35 in captivity)
Diet
Fruit, honey, flowers
and insects
Life expectancy
13.5 years (24 in captivity)
Diet
Fruit, nectar, saps, frogs, spiders and lizards
Backs and tails are covered in long black and brown fur
Origin of species
Olive or greyish crowns
Orange
crowns with white edges on their foreheads
Diurnal, terrestrial and arboreal, they proclaim their territorial rights by leaving saliva and scent. They can make booming sounds and a variety of facial expressions
Hands,
arms, and feet are yellow to orange.
Agile jumpers and runners, they prefer to live in trees and only occasionally descend to the rainforest ground for food. They can produce at least 26 different sounds for communication
Blue
and white beards
24 to 40cm*
Speckled yellow-grey fur
Short, soft fur grey to olive green, with whitish underparts
Life expectancy
20 years (30 in captivity)
Diet
Seeds, fruits, leaves, flowers, fungi, insects, spiders and small reptiles
Life expectancy
12 years (20 in captivity)
Diet
Insects, birds’ eggs, fruits, nuts, flowers, seeds and nectar
~50cm*
White stripe along each thigh
4
2
3
1
*Height does not include the tail
Only males have the signature white face
32 to 40 cm*
Arboreal and diurnal, these monkeys live in small monogamous groups. A highly agile primate, capable of leaping up to 10 metres between branches, (also known as "flying monkeys")
Long black fur
Life expectancy
14 years (35 in captivity)
Diet
Fruit, honey, flowers
and insects
Named for their striking white hair, cotton-top tamarins have claw-like nails that help them jump between trees. Often born as twins
Life expectancy
13.5 years
(24 in captivity)
Diet
Fruit, nectar, saps, frogs, spiders and lizards
White hair top head
20 to 25 cm*
White chests and bellies
Origin of species
Backs and tails are covered in long black and brown fur
Olive or greyish crowns
Hands, arms, and feet are yellow to orange.
Agile jumpers and runners, they prefer to live in trees and only occasionally descend to the rainforest ground for food. They can produce at least 26 different sounds for communication
24 to 40cm*
Life expectancy
12 years (20 in captivity)
Diet
Insects, birds’ eggs, fruits, nuts, flowers, seeds and nectar
Short, soft fur grey to olive green, with whitish underparts
Orange crowns with white edges on their foreheads
Diurnal, terrestrial and arboreal.They proclaim their territorial rights by leaving saliva and scent. They can make booming sounds and a variety of facial expressions
Blue and white beards
Speckled yellow-grey fur
Life expectancy
20 years (30 in captivity)
Diet
Seeds, fruits, leaves, flowers, fungi, insects, spiders and small reptiles.
~50cm*
4
2
3
1
White stripe along each thigh
*Height does not include the tail
1 | White-faced saki
Pithecia pithecia
Only males have the signature white face
Arboreal and diurnal, these monkeys live in small monogamous groups. A highly agile primate, capable of leaping up to 10 metres between branches, (also known as "flying monkeys")
Life expectancy
14 years
(35 in captivity)
2 | Cotton-top tamarin
Saguinus oedipus
Named for their striking white hair, cotton-top tamarins have claw-like nails that help them jump between trees. Often born as twins
Life expectancy
13.5 years
(24 in captivity)
3 | Common squirrel monkey
Saimiri sciureus
Agile jumpers and runners, they prefer to live in trees and only occasionally descend to the rainforest ground for food. They can produce at least 26 different sounds for communication
Life expectancy
12 years
(20 in captivity)
MADRID
MADRID
4 | De Brazza’s monkey
Saimiri sciureus
Diurnal, terrestrial and arboreal.They proclaim their territorial rights by leaving saliva and scent. They can make booming sounds and
a variety of facial expressions
Life expectancy
20 years (30 in captivity)
Hong Kong zoo monkey deaths:
here’s what we know
Twelve primates have died at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens since October 13. The deaths are believed to be linked to contaminated soil from nearby construction work.
When did the monkeys die?
The first eight primates died on October 13, with the 12th one dying on October 22. Autopsies found a large amount of the sepsis-inducing bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, which causes the melioidosis disease. It was likely to have come from contaminated soil near the primates' enclosures. The bacteria’s incubation period in primates is about a week, which appeared to fit the timing of the sudden deaths of the animals.
Death of the monkey
Monkey on isolated surveillance
White-faced
Saki
Cotton-top
Tamarin
Common
Squirrel
De Brazza’s
monkey
Critically
endangered
4 deaths
3 deaths
3 deaths
2 deaths
Age at
time of death
1
3
14
18
11
2
24
31
Sunday,
October 13
UK 1997
Singapore
2018
Beijing
2012
1
Monday,
October 14
Imported
city and year
(If none, was born in HK Zoo)
Zoo closed
From October 14 the mammals section of the HK zoo is closed for disinfection and cleaning
Wednesday,
October 16
Period on isolated
surveillance
6
Saturday,
October 19
10
Sunday,
October 20
13
Tuesday,
October 22
White-faced
Saki
Cotton-top
Tamarin
Critically
endangered
4 deaths
3 deaths
Common
Squirrel
De Brazza’s
monkey
3 deaths
2 deaths
Death of the monkey
Monkey on isolated surveillance
White
faced
Saki
Cotton
top
Tamarin
De
Brazza’s
monkey
Age at
time of death
Common
Squirrel
2
1
24
11
3
31*
14
18
Sunday,
October 13
Singapore
2018
Beijing
2012
Imported city and year (If none, was born in HK Zoo)
1
Monday,
October 14
* UK 1997
Zoo closed
From October 14 the mammals section of the HK zoo is closed for disinfection and cleaning
Wednesday,
October 16
Period on isolated
surveillance
6
Saturday,
October 19
10
Sunday,
October 20
13
Tuesday,
October 22
Deaths of the monkeys
Monkey on isolated surveillance
White-faced
saki
Cotton-top
tamarin
Common
squirrel monkey
De Brazza’s
monkey
Critically
endangered
4
deaths
3
deaths
3
deaths
2
deaths
Age at
time of death
11
3
2
24
31
1
14
18
Sunday,
October 13
Singapore
2018
Beijing
2012
UK 1997
1
Monday,
October 14
Imported
city and year
(If none, was born in HK Zoo)
Zoo closed
From October 14 the mammals section of the HK zoo is closed for disinfection and cleaning
Wednesday,
October 16
Period on isolated
surveillance
6
Saturday,
October 19
10
Sunday,
October 20
13
Tuesday,
October 22
The zoo
The Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the city's oldest park, have been an urban oasis since 1860. The park spans about 5.6 hectares. The mammals section has been closed since October 14 due to the monkey deaths, which raised concerns about animal health and public safety.
Mammals section
Hong Kong Zoological
and Botanical Gardens
Closed access
HK Island
Glenealy
Fountain
Tunnel
Main
entrance
Albany Road
King George VI
monument
Garden Road
Cotton Tree Drive
50m
MONKEY DISTRIBUTION*
12 monkeys were housed in 5 cages, separated by species, with the four white-faced sakis in 2 cages
white-faced saki
cotton-top
tamarin
common squirrel
monkey
De Brazza’s
monkey
2 cages
1 cage
1 cage
1 cage
Closest monkey cage
to the digging work
DIGGING WORK*
The soil digging work in early October was around 3 metres from the closest monkey cage
~3m
Contaminated
soil
The contaminated soil reached one of the monkeys in the cage and caused infection and death
*The exact number of monkeys per cage and the species in the one closest to the digging work are unknown
Mammals section
Hong Kong Zoological
and Botanical Gardens
Closed access
HK Island
Glenealy
Fountain
Tunnel
Main
entrance
Garden Road
Cotton Tree Drive
50m
MONKEY DISTRIBUTION*
12 monkeys were housed in 5 cages, separated by species, with the four white-faced sakis in 2 cages
white-faced saki
2 cages
cotton-top
tamarin
common squirrel
monkey
1 cage
1 cage
De Brazza’s
monkey
1 cage
DIGGING WORK*
The soil digging work in early October was around 3 metres from the closest monkey cage
Closest monkey cage
to the digging work
~3m
Contaminated
soil
The contaminated soil reached one of the monkeys in the cage and caused infection and death
*The exact number of monkeys per cage and the species in the one closest to the digging work are unknown
Biosecurity measures
Hygiene and biosecurity measures taken by staff at Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens:
ANIMALS
Cage cleaning
Check behaviour
Cages thoroughly hosed twice a day, and regularly cleaned with diluted disinfectant
Look for any abnormal emotions or behaviour in animals before entering cages
Faeces inspection
Food hygiene
Animals’ faeces are inspected to see if there are any parasites or infections
Food must be thoroughly washed before consumption, and stored in clean covered containers
ZOO WORKERS
Safety gear
Disinfection
Wear personal protective equipment, such as safety rain boots, gloves and masks
Step in a tray with disinfectant before entering and leaving a cage
Sickness
Staff who are sick are not allowed to enter a cage before making a full recovery
ANIMALS
Cage cleaning
Check behaviour
Thoroughly rinse the cages twice a day, and regularly clean with diluted disinfectant
Look for any abnormal emotions or behaviour in animals before entering cages
Faeces inspection
Food hygiene
Animals’ faeces are inspected to see if there are any parasites or infections
Food must be thoroughly washed before consumption, and stored in clean covered containers
ZOO WORKERS
Safety gear
Disinfection
Wear personal protective equipment, such as safety rain boots, gloves and masks
Step in a tray with disinfectant before entering and leaving a cage
Sickness
Staff who are sick are not allowed to enter a cage before making a full recovery
ANIMALS
Cage cleaning
Check behaviour
Food hygiene
Faeces inspection
Cages thoroughly hosed twice a day, and regularly cleaned with diluted disinfectant
Look for any abnormal emotions or behaviour in animals before entering cages
Food must be thoroughly washed before consumption, and stored in clean covered containers
Animals’ faeces are inspected to see if there are any parasites or infections
ZOO WORKERS
Sickness
Safety gear
Disinfection
Wear personal protective equipment, such as safety rain boots, gloves and masks
Staff who are sick are not allowed to enter a cage before making a full recovery
Step in a tray with disinfectant before entering and leaving a cage
Associate Creative Director Marcelo Duhalde
Additional research by Elizabeth Cheung
Additional web development Yi Zhe Ang
Photos: Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens
Sources: South China Morning Post archives, Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Britannica and National Geographic
View the print version here
