'Record-breaking' birth at Memphis Zoo

The baby boom continues for the Memphis Zoo.

On Monday, officials announced the birth of a Francois langur monkey by his 22-year-old mother —the oldest langur to give birth under the Species Survival Plan of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.

The Memphis Zoo has had Francois langurs in its collection since 2002. This is the third langur birth in the last three years.

“Ripley,” a male Francois langur, was born to dad “Jay Jay,” and mom “Tanah,” back in April. Ripley’s birth will be the exhibit’s sixth addition to the family, joining siblings “Rook,” “Raven,” and “Jean Grey.”

The announcement of Ripley’s arrival follows the recent string of births at the zoo. An orangutan, sloth, giraffe, hippopotamus, and antelope have all been born this year.

Laura Doty, marketing and communications manager at the Memphis Zoo, says Ripley’s name has a special origin.

“His name was given to him because of Ripley’s Believe it or Not,” she said. “His mom is actually the oldest langur to give birth.”

The Francois langur, also known as the Francois’ Leaf Monkey or the Tonkin leaf monkey, is a species originally from southwestern China and northeastern Vietnam. They are medium-sized primates with silky black hair. They also have white sideburns that grow from their ears to the corner of their cheeks. Visitors will be able to recognize Ripley right away as young langurs have bright orange fur that changes colors as they get older.

Doty said that Ripley’s large family is not a rare occurrence.

“This is usually their normal social structure,” she said. “They usually have many siblings. On top of the parents taking care of them, the older siblings and aunts also take care of the young.”