By Ben Rodgers
Editor
SUAMICO – If you take your eyes off these creative critters, you might just be in trouble.
The Japanese macaque monkeys, or snow monkeys, are this month’s Animal of the Month.
The NEW Zoo has a troop of eight snow monkeys, and zookeepers need to keep an eye out to make sure they stay out of trouble.
“They’re so smart, so it’s a little intimidating for me,” said Holly Bree, zookeeper. “I’m very cautious and stuff, but I’m on my toes with these guys. I have a great respect for them because they are so intelligent.”
Bree said a few years ago the monkeys picked up on the importance of the keys used by zookeepers, so when they had the chance, they lifted a set from a zookeeper.
The zoo’s response? Give all the monkeys a fake set of keys.
“When you have monkeys with keys in their exhibit, people get concerned,” Bree said.
Because of their intelligence, the snow monkeys are considered a Category 1 animal at the zoo.
Bree said this means they get the same amount of attention as the lions, giraffes, the bear or the bull moose.
“They’re very, very intelligent, so we do treat them with as much attention as the lions,” she said. “Because they are so smart, we make sure everything is in tip-top shape.”
There is also a social hierarchy at the monkey exhibit.
Eighteen-year-old Manny is the alpha male and the alpha female is 16-year-old Hiromi.
“Manny is the man in charge,” Bree said. “Ashiko is very mischievous and tries to be in charge, but you’ll see Manny scold him if he tries to pick on someone.”
Jessica Hutjens, a senior zookeeper, raised four snow monkeys by hand from birth, and snow monkeys inherit the social skills of their parents.
So having the four integrate seamlessly into the troop, before one eventually left for the Milwaukee zoo, was a big accomplishment, Bree said.
Of the eight in the troop, six were born here and three were-hand raised. The oldest is 27 and the youngest is 6.
The monkeys are on a specialized diet of vegetables, shoots, monkey biscuits and insects, because two of them are diabetic.
“They’re very smart and the medicine doesn’t taste good, so we had to get creative with how we get them to take their meds,” Bree said.
Sugar-free peanut butter helps.
The monkeys also get daily enrichment to help keep their minds sharp.
Native to Japan, the snow monkeys fit in well in Suamico.
“They’re the northernmost living primate, aside from humans in the world,” Bree said. “They can withstand temperatures into the negatives, so that makes them a great fit for Wisconsin.”
In the summer, they can be found enjoying the waterfall in their exhibit, and in the winter, they have the choice to be outside, or they have 24/7 access to a heated habitat.
But when it snows, they really like to enjoy themselves.
“You can definitely tell they’re excited when we get a big snowfall,” Bree said. “It’s fun to watch them in their yard.”
From now until the end of February, the NEW Zoo is offering half price admission so people can see these winter monkeys up close.
For more information and to see the discounted rates, visit newzoo.org.