At 22, Nanna is well into her golden oldie years and this is a testament to the excellent care she receives.

Nanna has had a VERY busy year, as the matriarch of our growing squirrel monkey family in Amazonia.

She is a mother, grandmother, and even became a great-grandmother in 2024, with the birth of new baby, Brinco.

It’s safe to say that none of our special squirrel monkey family would be here without Nanna, and she holds a special place in our Primate Keeper’s hearts.

Perth Zoo Primate Keeper Olivia Paris said: “Nanna is such a special squirrel monkey and it’s incredible to see her reach such a milestone!

“She loves interacting with us and even tries to search through our pockets for extra snacks when we work in the habitat. She’s very quirky, has a real love of mealworms, and also greatly enjoys admiring her reflection in our watches.”

The monkey business doesn’t stop there though, as squirrel monkey Gipsy is also celebrating his 13^th birthday!

“Gipsy is as sweet as a bunch of bananas and has a beautiful bromance with his enclosure mate Tikan,” Olivia said.

“To celebrate Nanna’s 22^nd and Gipsy’s 13^th lap around the sun, we prepared a box full of flowers and some tasty 'carrot cake' balls made from carrots and walnuts!

“Though it looks like fun and games, this enrichment is specially designed to keep the squirrel monkeys on their toes, honing their problem-solving and foraging skills.”
 
While Nanna and Gipsy are enjoying their special day here at Perth Zoo, life isn’t always a party for their wild cousins.

Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys are at risk from the loss of their natural rainforest habitat in South America.

Logging for the timber industry, land clearing for agriculture and the illegal pet trade are just some of the challenges they are facing.

That’s why we are part of the global coordinated species program, to protect precious primates like Nanna and Gipsy.

Nanna and her long lineage are a prime example of the work good zoos achieve through coordinated regional breeding programs, working to save species.

You can visit Nanna, Gipsy, and the rest of our Bolivian Squirrel Monkey family, in our amazing Amazonia!