Meet The New Baby Baboon At The San Diego Zoo

SAN DIEGO, CA — Meet the new baby baboon at the San Diego Zoo.

The San Diego Zoo welcomed a baby hamadryas baboon on April 3, the first born at the world-famous zoo since 2019. The zoo announced this week that the young male is named Defari, which means "strong" in Amharic, an official language of Ethiopia.

Defari was born to first-time mother Lisa Marie and father Zito as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Hamadryas Baboon Species Survival Plan.

For the first three weeks of its life, a hamadryas baboon infant will hold onto its mother by gripping her hair as she moves around. They have pink skin and black hair until they are 1 year old, at which point their hair turns brown and resembles that of the adults.

Hamadryas baboons are active during the day, often waking around sunrise. Defari and Lisa Marie can usually be found in the zoo's Africa Rocks exhibit surrounded by doting females, including Lisa Marie's mom Daphne. Zito is curious and protective of his offspring and maintains watch close by, according to the zoo. The troop may also be spotted on the San Diego Zoo's Baboon Cam.