224
grateful to Dick Soderlund for the preparation of
the weight graph, Mike Greer, staff photographer,
for the photograph, and Ceil Wilson for the
preparation of the manuscript.
PRODUCTS MENTIONED I N THE TEXT
Esbilac: powdered canine milk substitute,
manufactured by Pet-Ag, Inc., 201 Keyes Avenue,
Hampshire, IL 60140, USA.
Int Z o o Yb (1993) 32: 224-228
Hand-rearing and reintroduction of a Black- handed spider
monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
a t Brookfield Zoo, Chicago
VINCE SODARO
Lead Keeper, Tropic World South America, Chicago Zoological Park, Brookjield,
Illinois 60513, USA
Black-handed spider monkeys Ateles geoJ
froyi are housed at Brookfield Zoo,
Chicago, in a exhibit enclosure and two
interconnected holding cages. In early
1990 the group consisted of a 8,a multi-
parous and two nulliparous 99, one of
five and one of four years of age.
On the morning of 18 April, a 8 born
during the night was found abandoned on
the floor of the holding cage in which its
parents were housed. The 0, then aged
five years four months, had had no
previous exposure to infants and showed
no sign of maternal behaviour. Removed
by the keepers, the neonate was found to
weigh 440 g and apart from some bruising
to the face appeared to be strong and
healthy.
The mother was lightly sedated with
ketamine and Valium, and the infant
allowed to nurse. He suckled vigorously
from both breasts for a total of almost 30
minutes. He was then placed on a blanket
and put with his mother into a large shift
NEW DEVELOPMEhTS Ih THF ZOO W O R L D
Pedialyte: electrolyte solution, manufactured by
Ross Laboratories, Columbus, OH 43216, USA.
Polyvite: multi-vitamin iron supplement.
manufactured by Rugby Labs, New York. NY.
USA.
Zu/Preem: primate diet, manufactured by Hills Per
Products Inc.. PO Box 148. Topeka, KS 66601.
USA.
Manuscript submitted 20 February 1992
C, The Zoological Society of London
tunnel in one of the holding cages. The C_
pulled vigorously at the blanket on which
the infant lay and slapped aggressively on
the floor in front of him. She then moved
away and ignored him for over ten
minutes. At this point, the infant was
removed for hand-rearing. We found little
published information on the hand-
rearing of Ateles and our observations
and methods may be of interest as a com-
parison with those previously reported
(Gensch, 1965; Miles, 1967).
DIET
The infant was given Similac from a small
plastic bottle fitted with a latex nipple that
had been moulded from the tip of a 12 ml
syringe. On day 1, following the initial
feed from his mother, he was offered six
formula feeds. Although he had shown a
strong suckling response to the 9,he was
slow to accept the artificial nipple and
formula. For the first seven days he did
not actively suck but would swallow the
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ZOO WORLD 225

AGE AMOUNT FORMULA NO. FEEDS/

(days) DAY
OFFERED % BODY WEIGHT CONSUMED/DAY OFFEREDIFEED
(mi) (mi) (ml)
1 60 13.6 27 10 6
2 96 23.6 51 12 8
3 4 120 28 65-70 12 10
5 I08 25.6 66 12 9
6 96 22.6 61.5 12 8
7-9 84 20 72.5-76 12 I
1&12 91 21 84-90 13 7
13-14 98 23 91.5-95 14 7
15-17 105 24 101-107 15 7
18-19 I12 25.5 111-112 16 I
20 133 31 115 19 7
2146 11W32 25 114-132 19-22 6
47-76 132-168 25 128-1 57.5 22-34 5
77-89 I68 25 1I6 42 4
90 184 25 162 46 4
91-131 138 18 78 46 2
23 2
132-1 89 115 12 115 46 2
23 1
19&203 92 8 92 46 2
204-235 52 4 52 26 2
236250 26 1.7 26 26 1

Table 1. Formula fed to hand-reared 8 Black-handed spider monkey Afeles geoflroyi born at Brookfield Zoo.
Solids were introduced on day 22 (see Table 2) and formula was discontinued on day 2!51.

formula if it were dribbled slowly into his day 1 to d a y 4 and dluring the first week
mouth. the number of feeds was adjusted almost
The infant’s weight decreased from daily (Table I). Although some weight

AGE SOLIDS OFFERED NO. FEEDS/

(days) DAY

22 0 5 tsp Gerber Rice Cereal, mixed with Similac 3

36 1 tsp mashed banana added to cereal at each feed 3
62 1 tsp strained steamed sweet potato added 2
70 1 tsp dry primate chow (ZuiPreem and Spectrum) crushed and mixed with 5 ml
Similac 2
73 0.5 tsp ZuIPreem canned primate science diet 2
80 1 tsp strained carrot 2
84 1 tsp strained spinach 2
86 pieces of steamed sweet potato and spinach substituted for strained sweet potato
and spinach
90 dry primate chow increased to 5 tsp daily
91 canned science diet increased to 2 tsp daily; formula weaning begins
100 1 tsp apple 2
101 all strained baby foods and cereal discontinued; fresh fruits and vegetables offered;
whole chow biscuits offered; crushed biscuit mixed with Similac
132 canned Science diet increased to 2.5 tsp daily
203 canned Science diet increased to 4.5 tsp daily
236 canned Science diet increased to 6 tsp daily

Table 2. Schedule of introduction of solid foods to hand-reared Black-handed spider monkey.

12h
0-4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
age (months)
Fig. 1. Growth curve from birth to eight months of age
for hand-reared 3 Black-handed spider monkey A teles
geqffrroyi born at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago.
gain was seen on day 4 and the amount of
formula accepted gradually increased, the
rate of weight increase was slow and
erratic throughout the first three weeks
(Fig. I ) and birth weight was not regained
until day 18.
Solids were first offered on day22
(Table 2). On day 90 the infant, weighed
784 g and accepted 162 ml of formula; on
day 9 1 weaning began.
HOUSING
Initially the infant was housed in an incu-
bator set at 30.5"C. Beginning on day 13
the temperature was gradually reduced
until it reached 24°C on day 36. The incu-
bator was kept in the spider monkey
holding area allowing visual and auditory
contact between the infant and the adult
group.
A teddy bear was provided to give the
infant something to cling to and he
quickly became very attached to this
surrogate mother. Two identical teddy
bears were used to allow frequent rotation
for washing.
From day 52 the infant, with the surro-
gate, was transferred to a stainless steel
mesh shift tunnel, measuring 3.3 x 0.6 x
0.8 m high, within one of the holding
cages for increasingly longer periods of
time. Bars, branches and ropes were
added to the tunnel to encourage normal
h r W D I \ E L O P M E h T S lhi T H F 700 U O R L I )
locomotor development. Two shift doors
provided direct access to the group's cage.
The infant was also given access to the
group's main holding cages when no adult
was present. In one of these areas a
special climbing frame was constructed to
further improve his skills (Table 3).
REINTRODUCTION
During the introduction of the infant to
the adult group the door between the
tunnel and the main cage was partially
opened allowing the young monkey to
enter the group cage but preventing an
adult from entering the tunnel. The first
attempt was made on day 176 when the
oldest and experienced was left in the
main cage and the infant entered and
approached. When she showed interest
and attempted to pick him up. he
appeared to be frightened and made no
attempt to cling to or climb onto her.
Instead, he held tightly to a blanket which
he had carried with him from the tunnel.
The 9 made several rather rough attempts
to pick up and carry him, twice dropping
him onto the floor. Although no injury
was sustained, it was thought safer to
discontinue the introduction.
When the infant was 239 days old a
second, this time successful, attempt was
made with the same C. By this age the
infant was more agile and mobile and the
9 made no attempt to carry him or exhibit
any other maternal behaviour. There
were, however, no negative interactions
and she appeared to accept his presence.
The infant was separated from the i at
night for the first seven days but on the
eighth and ninth nights, he was given
access to the cage through a narrow
opening in the tunnel doorway. There-
after the door was left open to offer the (!
and infant continuous access. Although
the infant appeared wary of the 7 for the
first few days, in less than a week both
would sit at the front of the enclosure less
than 30cm apart to accept food from the
keepers. Within two-and-a-half weeks
they were seen sleeping close together,
although without touching.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS I N THE ZOO WORLD
~~
AGE PHYSICAL EVENT
2 lower incisors barely visible
35 stands quadrupedally
38 all canines and incisors present
46 manipulates objects
77
84 hangs by tail from rope in cage; still helpless
when placed on a flat surface; takes steps
when hand held
98 first seen standing bipedally
99
I04 brachiates and uses tail with agility
173
293
27 1
323 seen briefly clinging to adult d as he moves
343
Table 3. Physical and social development of hand-reared Black-handed spider monkey.
They continued to be housed together
until the infant was 270 days old. At no
point during this 31-day period did the 9
carry the infant. Throughout this time the
parents and third Q were housed in an
adjacent cage with visual and auditory
contact. On day 271 the 6 was given
access to the 0 and infant, which was
again allowed access to cage and tunnel
via the partly opened door. Although the
infant entered the cage as soon as the
door was opened, he seemed afraid of the
6. and quickly retreated into the tunnel.
After about an hour, however, he was
seen approaching the 6.and initiating play
by touching his arm, tail and head and
finally climbing onto the adult’s head. The
adult 6. was amazingly tolerant of the
young and responded by engaging in
vigorous play wrestling bouts with him.
As with the original introduction, the 6
was separated from the 0 and young over-
night and reunited with them the next
day. After four days, the three were left
together continuously. On day 323, 52
days after the 8’s introduction, the infant
was seen clinging briefly to the adult’s side
227
BEHAVIOURAL EVEN7
‘lip smacks’ at people; rear grimaces and turns
away on seeing other spider monkeys
‘armpit scratching’ displacement behaviour seen
makes ‘play face’
successfully introduced to adult 0; separated at
night for first week
introduced to father; separated at night for first
four days; housed with 8 and oldest 5‘ con-
tinuously
J begins to carry young daily for next 8
months; thereafter young more independent
but carried occasionally until 23 months
as he locomoted. Two days later the
infant was observed riding comfortably
on the 6’s back and from then on daily
rides were observed. Keepers have
frequently seen the adult 6 approach the
infant and position his back, arm and
shoulder as if soliciting riding behaviour.
This was most frequently seen when the
group was moving from one cage to
another or from the holding cages to the
exhibit area. Paternal care by 6.Ateles has
not been reported in the wild but we have
heard of two instances in captive animals
(K. Quebedeaux, Baton Rouge Zoo, pers.
comm.; A. Weaver, San Diego Zoo, pers.
comm.).
When the infant was one year and 15
days old, the youngest 0 was reunited
with the two adults and infant without
incident. One week later, the infant’s
mother was added to the group. Neither Q
showed any sign of maternal care for the
young 6..The young, now two years old,
appears to be well integrated into the
group. The last observed paternal carry-
ing was at 23 months old.
On 24February 1992, the third Q gave
228
birth to a C infant and at time of writing
has taken excellent care of her. The sire
has again shown interest and was seen to
carry the infant briefly when she was six
weeks of age.
ACKhOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Dr Anne Baker and Carol Sodaro for
their comments and suggestions on this paper; the
keepers of Tropic World South America for the care,
time and energy that went into the hand-rearing and
reintroduction effort; D r Susan Crissey for her
advice and comments on diet and nutrition.
PRODUCTS MENTIONED I W T H E TEXT
Gerber Rice Cereal: baby food, manufactured by
Gerber Products Co., Fremont. MI 49413, USA.
Similac: dried milk powder, manufactured by Ross
Int Zoo Yh (1993) 32: 228-238
A review of the management of the Springhaas
Pedetes capensis
in captivity
EDWARD W. LAIRD
Chicago Zoological Park, Brookjeld, Illinois 60513, U S A
The Springhaas Pedetes capensis is a large
bipedal rodent occurring throughout
much of the southern third of Africa and
is common in suitable habitats. In cap-
tivity its reproductive history is inconsis-
tent; a few individuals reproduce but the
majority do not.
Until recently the Pedetidae was
thought to consist of two species, the
South African springhaas P. capensis,
with seven subspecies, and the East
African springhaas Pedetes surdaster. with
three subspecies. It is now generally
accepted that P. surdaster is a subspecies
of P. capensis (Coe, 1969; Butynski, 1979;
Smithers, 1983).
A questionnaire (Appendix I) request-
ing details of captive management was
h E W D t C F L O P M E h T S I \ T H t 700 k O R L I 1
Laboratories, Division of Abbott Laboratories.
USA, Columbus, OH 43216. USA.
Spectrum: dry diet, manufactured by Animal
Spectrum, Inc., POBox 721, North Platte. NE
69101-0721, USA.
Zu/Preem Canned Primate Diet: manufactured by
Hill’s Pet Products lnc.. POB 148. Topeka. KS
66601. USA.
REFERENCES
GENSCH, W. (1965): Birth and rearing of a black-
faced spider monkey Ateles paniscus chamek
Humboldt at Dresden Zoo. h r . Zoo Yh. 5: 110.
MILES. P. (1967): Notes on the rearing and
development of a hand-reared spider monkey Atekes
geoffroji. I n / . Zoo Yh. 7: 82-85
Manuscript submitted 2 October 1992
( The Zoological Society of London
sent to 15 zoos that were reported by ISIS
as holding Springhaas in 1989, 14 of
which replied. The questionnaires were
sent in January 1990 and responses were
received for the period January 1990 to
June 1990 so the births, deaths and other
population data reported here relate only
to that time period. In this paper some
ecological, reproductive, anatomical and
captive management information from
relevant literature is integrated with the
results of the questionnaires.
HISTORY IN CAPTIVITY
Jarvis & Morris (1961) list London,
Rotterdam and Washington each holding
one pair of Springhaas. Chicago Lincoln
Park first exhibited Springhaas in 1970,