Primate Canyon

Asian Small-clawed Otters

The Asian Small-clawed Otter is grayish brown to dark brown, with a lighter underside and a white throat. The short, dense fur is impermeable to water. They are able to dive for several minutes due to a huge lung capacity. Otters live in dens, usually by the side of the water and with an underwater entrance to the den. The diurnal small-clawed otters live in groups of four to twelve animals.

The otters at the Memphis Zoo consist of a family group of five- males: Onkar, Amiri, Tonaka and females: Ndari and Xia.. They share an exhibit with red and white lemurs. They are in their exhibit in the mornings, then brought inside so the Lemurs can go out in the afternoon.

Black and White Ruffed Lemur

Like all lemur species, ruffed lemurs are found in the wild on the tiny African nation of Madagascar. They are prosimians, or a group of primates that include lemurs and lorises. They evolved before apes and monkeys. Both species of ruffed lemurs are the only primates that keep their young in nests, and don't carry them around when they travel.

There are over 100 different species of lemurs; there are five distinct families of lemurs within those species. Black and white ruffed lemurs also get their name from their coloration. Their fur tends to be longer than that of their counterparts. Although they all have black and white fur, the markings and colorations differ by individuals. 

Our Black and White Ruffs are known to be quite silly! Pepe has a shorter tail and Penelope is very sassy. They are named after Looney Tunes skunk characters. They like to hang upside down by their toes to get food. The females are dominant and they are all frugivores, meaning 93% of their diet in the wild is fruit. You can often see our lemurs standing in the sun with their arms open trying to soak in the rays.

The two groups of lemurs are on exhibit in Primate Canyon, across from the Orangutan yard. They share their exhibit space with the Asian small-clawed otters. 

Bonobos

Bonobos, sometimes called Pygmy Chimpanzees, look similar to the common chimpanzee except that they are shorter, narrower in the chest and hips, and have bodies that are slender. However, they are not related to chimpanzees at all. Their long, fine hair is mostly black, with some white at the muzzle. Bonobos are noted for their strong social ties to each other relying on cooperation, rather than conflict to form an orderly society.

About our bonobos:  Lisala is the matriarch, Lily is Mpingo’s mom, Kiri is Mobali’s mom, and Filda is Macumba’s mom! Lily and Lisala are sisters and like all Bonobos, they love to play and be silly. They are a matriarchal society and boys stay with their moms for life.

Colobus Monkeys

The word Colobus is derived from the Greek word meaning docked and these monkeys got this name in reference to their stump like thumbs. They have fewer facial muscles than other primates and are born completely white with a pink face. Sometimes, they raise infants by allomothering, meaning multiple females will help raise young.

The Memphis Zoo has 4 Colobus monkeys. Females Lulu and Ruby, Ruby is mother to baby Onyx and our male Kivuli is the father.

Lowland Gorillas

The western lowland gorilla is the largest of the living primates. Males, known as “silverbacks” due to the gray hair they begin to have as they reach maturity, can be as tall as 6 feet and weigh as much as 400 pounds. The females are much smaller, weighing in at 200 pounds and only about 5 feet tall. Chest beating is a sign that a gorilla senses a threat, and they are attempting to show off their size to ward off a fight or threa. Gorillas make low grumbling sounds when they’re happy and gassy gorilla is a happy gorilla!

The Memphis Zoo’s family group of gorillas has grown significantly over the years in an effort to establish a family unit. Our group is made up of one male and three females. “Mwelu” is a smart and intimidating silverback gorilla who likes to keep to himself. However, he has three females, “Kwizera,” “Penny” and her daughter “Kebara” to keep him company. In an interesting effort to create harmony in the group, Memphis Zoo staff gave the three females time to bond before introducing them to Mwelu, as males can sometimes be territorial when new gorillas are added. Just as our staff suspected, the bonding time worked like a charm and made for a relatively smooth transition.    

Orangutans

Orangutans are very endangered in the wild. They are found on only two islands in Southeast Asia, Borneo and Sumatra. These tree-dwelling apes are the only greater apes found in all of Asia. Orangutans are extremely intelligent and are known for making and using tools in the wild.

About our Orangutans

The Memphis Zoo is home to four Sumatran orangutans, our adult male “Tombak” and two females “Chickie” and “Jahe.” Tombak and Jahe are the parents of "Rowan." This is a very active group and many times entertain guests with their quirky personalities. Tombak can frequently be seen swinging from his rope on the exhibit’s complex jungle gym, and Chickie and Jahe love to explore all the exhibit with the enrichment items provided by their keepers. 

Patas Monkey

The patas monkey is an Old World monkey (family Cercopithecidae), also known as the wadi monkey or hussar monkey, is a ground-dwelling monkey distributed over semi-arid areas of West Africa, and into East Africa.  It was formerly considered the only member of the genus Erythrocebus, but the Blue Nile patas monkey, previously synonymized with this species, was resurrected in 2018.

The adult male patas monkey has shaggy fur set off by a white mustache and white underparts, and its build is like that of a greyhound; the female has a similar but less-striking pattern and build. They are long-limbed and predominantly ground-dwelling primates found in the grass and scrub regions of West and Central Africa and southeast to the Serengeti plains.

About Our Group

Dayo, Zarina, and Grace are the names of our Patas. The girls are sisters! Our Patas are very shy and take some time to warm up to new people. Our sisters love to look in the mirror and Grace has been known to carry a mirror around with her. They are the fastest terrestrial primates and can run up to 30mph. Females’ noses will turn white when they are pregnant.

Siamang

Siamangs are known as one of the lesser apes because of their smaller size compared to primates. Each siamang family has its own forest territory of about 120 acres. Each morning, the female begins calling to other family groups to notify them of her presence and the male soon joins in. Each sex has its own particular song and each family group has its own particular duet. The call of the siamang is one of the loudest noises in Nature. It can penetrate the forest canopy for several kilometers.

About our Siamangs

The Memphis Zoo is home to two siamangs, “Haumea” and “Loki.” The happy couple Haumea and Loki share the Orangutan exhibit outside with Chickie. They alternate days with our other Orangutans, Tombak, Jahe and Rowan.

Spot Nose Guenon

Spot-nosed guenons are native to the rain forests of West Africa and best known for their white nose spot.   The spot-nosed guenon’s species name, petaurista, means “springiest-tailed monkey,” describing the primate’s leaping ability. Their long tail is not prehensile but helps them balance while moving through the trees. The guenon’s excellent color vision helps them find ripe fruit while their large cheek pouches are used for storing their food. 

Thorn, Thimble, Cotton, and Levi are our Spot-nosed Guenons. All our babies’ names have a clothing theme due to Thimble’s name. They are from the west coast of Africa and are known for their long tails that they use for balance. They are not prehensile and cannot be used to grip things or hang by. They have cheek pouches where they store their food until it is time to eat! Only six zoos in America have these Guenons. They have a white heart shape coloring on their noses and babies don’t get their white spot until they are 2-3 months old.

White Cheeked Gibbons

White-cheeked gibbons are small apes that have very long arms and legs, which they use to traverse tree branches. They can move at speeds of up to 35 mph.

The Memphis Zoo has 2 pairs of white-cheeked gibbons, Timmi, Danta, Ringo, and Tallullah. Ringo and Tallullah are siblings. White Cheeked Gibbons are born with white fur, their hair color changes to black around 1 year and then the females change back to white around 4 or 5 years. Fun fact-- Gibbons sing duets with their partners! In the wild they typically sing at dawn to let other gibbons know of their territory.