Baby bushbaby doing well in Chicago zoo

Visitors to Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo can now get their first look at a recently birthed Moholi bushbaby.

In a news release, the zoo says the tiny primate that weighed just 0.3 ounces when it was born in January has recently ventured from its nest.

The zoo says the birth of the healthy bushbaby is a big deal for a couple of reasons. First, the primates that are native to Southern Africa are very rare in zoos. Today, there are fewer than 20 in zoos in the United States. Second, a zoo official says the seemingly healthy bushbaby suggests the parents are a “good match.”

The zoo’s Moholi bushbaby family is on exhibit every day at the Regenstein Small Mammal-Reptile House between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Bushbabies, according to the zoo’s website, are small primates with grayish/brown fur that is lighter on the limbs and trunk.

“Oversized ears are used to maintain contact with peers and detect predators. Huge eyes are surrounded by dark fur. Moholi bushbabies’ long tails are used for balance as they scamper through the trees. Back legs, which are longer than the front legs, are ideal for vertical climbing and leaping,” the site says.