Prospect Park Zoo

Hamadryas baboons inhabit arid and rocky cliffs of countries in the Horn of Africa. In this throwback video of our Hamadryas baboons from last summer, we see some of the troop’s social dynamics at work. The youngest members engage in high-energy play under the watchful eyes of the adults. Through play and play-fight, young baboons develop their motor skills, agility, and strength. This behavior also helps them establish social bonds and learn to navigate the group’s hierarchies. We currently have 11 baboons at the Prospect Park Zoo. Visit them soon and see which behaviors you can identify.

Happy World Turtle Day! The Rote Island snake-necked turtle is native to Rote Island in East Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. It has not been seen in the wild there for more than a decade. This species is one of the 25 most threatened freshwater turtles in the world and is listed as “Critically Endangered” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Since 2015, the Bronx Zoo has shipped 46 turtles back to Indonesia in one of the first repatriation efforts of its kind. Prospect Park Zoo currently displays one of these turtles in the Hall of Animals.