Fota Wildlife Park's latest addition is a major first for Ireland
This is not a drill! Well, technically, it is. Cork’s Fota Wildlife are celebrating a major first for Ireland.
On July 18, the popular wildlife park welcomed a brand new endangered male drill monkey, who is the first of its species to be born at the Cork conservation facility as part of a European Endangered Breeding Programme.
The young monkey is the offspring of 9-year-old mother, Lewa, and 10-year-old father, Ekona. Drills are a rare primate species closely related to mandrills.
Cork’s Fota Wildlife are celebrating a major first for Ireland. Pic: Michael O’Sullivan / OSM PHOTO
Over the past three decades, the population of drills has declined by at least 50%.
The rare animals are today only found in a limited range, such as Cross River State in Nigeria, southwestern Cameroon, and Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea.
Their total natural habitat covers less than 40,000 square kilometres, roughly half the size of Ireland. There are an estimated 3,000-4,000 drills left in the wild, and the numbers are decreasing due to habitat loss to give way for development and plantations.
The young monkey is the offspring of 9-year-old mother, Lewa, and 10-year-old father, Ekona. Pic: Michael O’Sullivan / OSM PHOTO
Fota’s Lead Ranger, Teresa Power, said everybody at the park is ‘absolutely thrilled’ about the new addition.
She said: ‘It’s a first not only for Fota Wildlife Park but for Ireland as well. The drill is an incredibly rare and endangered species, so it’s a real privilege to be part of the conservation and care of the species.
‘Lewa, the new mother, is doing an excellent job. She’s very protective, and the young male is nursing well, this is her first baby. For now, Lewa and the baby are being kept separate from the rest of the group, along with Banni, our younger female, who is both curious and attentive toward the new arrival.’
Drills are a rare primate species closely related to mandrills. Pic: Michael O’Sullivan / OSM PHOTO
Power added: ‘We’re hopeful that Banni may give birth herself later this year, and she’s already learning valuable maternal behaviours from observing Lewa. Visitors to Fota Wildlife Park may see the young monkey with his mother, at the purpose-built drill habitat and island.
‘Drill infants are born with a distinctive black cap of hair, which they usually lose around six months of age. They’re quite precocious too — we often see them trying to wander off as early as two weeks old! Lewa, however, is quick to pull him back and keep him close. We plan to reunite the group once the baby is a little bigger and more independent.’
Fota Wildlife Park is now asking the public to help name the young male monkey and to enter their suggestion via the website for the chance to win a year-long Conservation Annual Pass to the Park.
In other baby animal news, Dublin Zoo recently announced the birth of a rare and endangered female okapi calf, born on the morning of Good Friday, April 18, 2025.
Both the calf and her mother Lumara, aged 10, are ‘thriving’ after months of ‘beautiful care’.
The young calf has been growing steadily, showing all the signs of good health and Dublin Zoo confirmed that her name will be revealed soon.
She is just the third ever okapi calf born in Ireland which marks an important milestone in the conservation of the okapi species.
