Nashville Zoo prepares to welcome baby spider monkey

Wrangling a pregnant spider monkey for an ultrasound is no small task.

In fact, it takes months of training to establish trust to get the primate to allow a veterinarian to examine her. 

At the Nashville Zoo on Wednesday morning, four spider monkeys swung around their enclosure from ropes, scurried across a catwalk and chattered as visitors came in from the chilly weather outside. The four include a brother and sister — Sandy and Poppy, respectively — along with two other females, Molly and Chloe. 

Molly is around six months pregnant. Veterinarian Dr. Margarita Woc Colburn said they expect Molly to deliver sometime in December or early January. A baby giraffe is expected at the zoo around the same time. 

Spider monkeys are critically endangered, according to zoo spokesperson Jim Bartoo. Molly and the other three are Mexican spider monkeys — also known as black-handed spider monkeys.

After an ultrasound and examination Wednesday, Colburn said everything was on track and the infant was developing well. Since the monkeys are rare, some of the zoo's findings will help further the research and understanding of them. 

"We'll be learning a lot from this one," Colburn said. 

BABY GIRAFFE ON THE WAY:Nashville Zoo welcomes pregnant giraffe named Tazama

How target training works

"Molly girl!" lead primate keeper Jessica Hankins called out Wednesday.

The monkey scampered over to her into a narrow enclosure with a hole for the ultrasound wand to fit through.

"Belly?" Hankins said. 

After a few attempts, Molly presented her belly, allowed the team to apply gel and happily munched on treats while they checked on her infant. 

The zoo staff uses a method called target training to get the monkeys, along with other animals, to let them perform routine exams and give shots, progressing to more complicated procedures like ultrasounds. It eliminates extra stress for the animals, along with the need to immobilize or tranquilize them.

The method includes a stick with a ball on the end to point at the body part the staff needs to see; whistles and clickers to indicate correct behavior; and plenty of treats. In Molly's case, the keepers also used mock equipment — like a nonfunctional laptop and ultrasound wand — to acclimate her to the process well ahead of her pregnancy.

While primates are some of the most advanced in what they can learn through target training, the method is also used on everything from stingrays to elephants, Hankins said.

When can we go see the baby spider monkey?

Once Molly's infant is born, the pair will be given a "quiet period" and only visited by the zoo keepers she trusts most, unless they see signs of trouble, lead primate supervisor Sabrina Barnes said. That time is crucial for mother and infant to establish a bond, she said. 

The monkeys also tend to stay in their indoor enclosure until the weather gets warmer. Zoo spokesman Jim Bartoo said the infant will likely be available for visitors to see in person by late spring. 

The Nashville Zoo has adapted its operations in response to the coronavirus pandemic, asking guests to buy tickets in advance, use credit or debit cards instead of cash, wear a face covering and stick to one-way paths marked throughout the zoo. A few features are also closed for the time being to help limit the spread of COVID-19. The latest information can be found at nashvillezoo.org.