A critically endangered roloway monkey named Masaya has given birth to a daughter, Lagertha, months after undergoing a complex surgery at Chester Zoo and the University of Liverpool's Small Animal Teaching Hospital to save her foot from amputation. The surgery was performed after Masaya developed a golf-ball-sized mass on her foot.
Zoo veterinarians collaborated with surgeons from the University of Liverpool, including Rachel Burrow, a veterinarian and lecturer, to remove the mass while preserving as much of the foot as possible. Burrow stated, “This was the last chance to save Masaya's foot before amputation. Working with primates is completely different from my usual patients, who are typically cats and dogs, and it was a real privilege to care for such a rare animal. It's great to see the surgery was a success - she's comfortable, active, and using the limb well.” The medical team found no prior instances of this specific procedure being performed on a roloway monkey.
Masaya’s successful recovery and subsequent birth are significant for the critically endangered species, of which fewer than 2,000 remain in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Chester Zoo is one of only two locations in the UK housing roloway monkeys, and Masaya is a key breeding female. Primate keeper Zoe Edwards explained, “Masaya is a very experienced mum and she’s parenting magnificently. Lagertha is only a few weeks old and is very dinky, but already curious about the roloway monkey habitat and inquisitive about us.”
Edwards also emphasized the importance of Masaya’s healed foot, stating, “The fact Masaya's foot has healed so well is a huge relief. If she'd had an amputation, we'd have been left with real questions about whether she could hold her offspring or continue with her normal behaviors.” Lagertha is Masaya’s third daughter, further contributing to the species’ limited breeding population.
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