Only Dutch Brazzamer cats get young at ZooParc Overloon

Overloon, February 11, 2020 - A Brazzameer cat was born at ZooParc this week. The zoo in Overloon is the only place in the Netherlands where this species of monkey can be seen.

It is only the second young of this animal species in 20 years to be born in a zoo in the Netherlands. The first was his or her big brother Tom, who came into the world at ZooParc in November 2018. The two young Brazzamer cats share the same father, Steven. The brand-new mother is Mouche.

Rarely

"This birth is really special in the Netherlands," says ZooParc Overloon general manager Roel Huibers. "We are the only place in the Netherlands where Brazzamer cats live, so you very rarely get the chance to see a young in your own country."

According to Huibers, everything is going well with mother and child. "The birth went smoothly and Mouche is doing great. It is her first cub, but she is picking up everything very well and is taking good care of the little one. We are also leaving them alone so she can get used to everything at her leisure. So we won't be able to say whether it's a male or female for a few weeks either."

260 grams

Brazzamer cats are born after a gestation period of five to six months. A female usually gives birth to 1 young at a time. The little ones weigh only 260 grams at birth.

The monkey species is native to the Tropical forests of Central and West Africa. They live on fruits and seeds. Brazzamer cats can communicate both vocally and visually. Staring is a form of threat and when they yawn it means they are tense or feel threatened. Showing the canines in males is also an expression of tension or threat.