On the evening of May 20, 2026, Suzy the black crested mangabey gave birth to a son at Chattanooga Zoo, which is one of only eleven U.S. zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that currently houses the species. Black crested mangabeys are slender, long-limbed monkeys endemic to rainforests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their name comes from the tuft of hair on top of their heads.
“Black crested mangabeys are fascinating and highly social primates,” said Darde Long, president and CEO of Chattanooga Zoo. “Suzy and Sam, the two mangabeys in our care, get along quite well, and their baby is absolutely adorable. Suzy has had offspring at other zoos before and she is, once again, proving herself to be a great mother.”
Suzy and Sam are both around 22 years old, and both previously lived at other AZA-accredited zoos before moving to Chattanooga Zoo. Sam moved to Chattanooga in 2012, and Suzy in 2019. Both mangabeys have reproduced before, but never with each other. Additionally, this is Suzy’s first offspring in 10 years.
Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists black crested mangabeys as vulnerable, which is one step from endangered. Their population has decreased over the last several decades due to poaching for meat and habitat loss. According to the IUCN, the species “is suspected to have declined by at least 30% over the past three generations (30 years).”
Chattanooga Zoo has selected potential names for the newborn mangabey, and they are asking for the public to help decide between Simon, Sebastian or Sullivan (Sully for short). Votes may be cast here, and the winning name will be decided by popular vote and announced in one week on June 23 on the Zoo’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Black crested mangabeys tend to weigh around one pound at birth, and they spend most of their time clinging to their mother for safety and to nurse. They start independently exploring their environment after a few weeks, and will stop nursing around six months.
Groups of black crested mangabeys in the wild typically consist of 10 to 20 individuals that are highly communicative. For example, their “staccato bark” vocalization helps warn other mangabeys of danger while the “whoop-gobble” is only performed by adult males and usually occurs after conflict within the group.
Black crested mangabeys are omnivores, and they eat many different fruits, seeds, nuts, insects, lizards and snails. They are vital to seed dispersal in the rainforests they occupy, giving them an important ecological role in their environment.
Suzy, Sam and their offspring can be viewed in the Gombe Forest section of Chattanooga Zoo inside the Donovan Interpretive Center. Guests are asked to remain quiet inside the building and stay behind barriers around viewing windows to keep the mangabey family comfortable and relaxed.
“Suzy’s baby has already become so fun and adventurous,” said Bri Towers, lead primate keeper at Chattanooga Zoo. “I can’t wait for everyone to meet him.”
Learn more about Chattanooga Zoo at chattzoo.org.
