There’s a new cute and cuddly baby zoo animal around.
Following in the footsteps of Moo Deng and Pesto, Jasper, a rare baby mandrill born at the Fort Worth Zoo, is ready to capture the hearts of many.
Jasper is the second mandrill born at the Fort Worth Zoo in nearly three decades, following his sister, Ruby, who was born in January.
Jasper was born on Sept. 13, weighing in at just two pounds. He's named after the gemstone, keeping in tradition with his mom, Scarlett, and sister Ruby.
In videos shared by the Fort Worth Zoo exclusively with TODAY, the personalities of the mandrill family are on full display.
While Jasper is enjoying some quality time with his mom, Ruby decides that she needs a little more attention and pops her head into the frame of the camera, completely blocking the view of her younger brother.
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Since Jasper was born, he has spent time with his mom, sister and dad, a mandrill named J.J. Mandrill babies nurse for six to 12 months, according to the zoo.
Jasper has formed a close bond with Scarlett, while Ruby has embraced her role as a big sister, a spokesperson for the zoo shares. Ruby has started to explore the habitat at the zoo solo, but calls out to her mom and stays in close contact while also showing off her protective side toward her brother.
Ruby and Jasper’s births mark a significant moment for conservation efforts of the mandrill species.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists mandrills as vulnerable on its red list of threatened species, meaning the species faces a high risk of extinction. The population of mandrills in the wild continues to decline due to habitat loss as well as poaching.
Prior to Ruby and Jasper, only two other mandrills were born at the Fort Worth Zoo, a female in 1992 and a male in 1995, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
The Fort Worth Zoo is home to nearly 7,000 animals. The zoo is poised to start the final installment, Forests & Jungles of the World, of a four-phase plan called A Wilder Vision. The first phase, African Savanna, opened in 2018, followed by Elephant Springs in 2021 and Predators of Asia & Africa in 2023.
The zoo primarily focuses on conservation and education, welcoming more than one million visitors per year to experience its animals — now including baby Jasper.
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