Gulf Breeze Zoo: Monkeying around

You may have heard of spider monkeys, howler monkeys, or even flying monkeys, but did you know there’s such a thing as a squirrel monkey?

Gulf Breeze Zoo welcomed 28 small, brightly colored squirrel monkeys into the zoo family on July 20, and the sprightly creatures have already made quite an impression. Visitors flocked to the new exhibit on Saturday, and the group, or troop, of monkeys put on a show.

Noelle Dorvault, age 8 of Pensacola, was charmed by the zoo’s newest addition.

“They are so cool!” she exclaimed. “There are so many of them and they are so small and they climb with their long tails,” Noelle enthused.

Mom Christine Dorvault said she had brought her daughter to the zoo specifically to see the new squirrel monkeys.

“The zoo has really come a long way,” Christine said. “It’s always a lot of fun.”

Squirrel monkeys hail from the tropical rainforests of South America, which makes them quite at ease in their new habitat. These creatures are long and lean, with an average length of about 12 inches, and tails that add an additional 16 inches to their overall length.

For more on this story, see the July 28 issue of the Navarre Press or subscribe online.