Hattiesburg Zoo’s lonely howler monkey gets new pal

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A lonely howler monkey at the Hattiesburg Zoo whose mate recently died isn’t lonely anymore.

Seven-year-old Frankie, a black howler monkey, has a new friend.

Her name is Piper and she has a blonde coat.

Piper is three-years-old and she arrived at the Hattiesburg Zoo last week from a zoo in Rhode Island.

Last April, Frankie’s for exhibit mate, Jessica, died due to age-related health issues.

“(The Rhode Island Zoo has) a big troop there, (and) they were having some issues with their troop dynamics,” said Kristen Moore, Hattiesburg Zoo animal curator. “They reached out and said ‘Hey, we know you guys were looking for a howler, how about Piper?’ We did a bunch of research on her and figured out it would be a match made for these guys.”

Frankie and Piper were on exhibit together for the first time Thursday.

They could be buddies for a long time.

“They’re not a breeding pair,” Moore said. “They’re just a companion pair, but that’s completely fine, as long as they are healthy and happy and loving lif. That’s all we care about.”

Howler monkeys in captivity can live into their 20s.

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