Rare Monkey Delivers Baby Months After Life-Saving Foot Surgery

A rare monkey at Chester Zoo has delivered a baby. This followed a life-saving foot surgery months earlier.

Surgery and recovery

The 15-year-old roloway monkey, Masaya, underwent pioneering surgery at the University of Liverpool’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital. Surgeons removed a golf-ball sized mass from her foot and amputated one toe.

Vets had treated recurring foot problems since Masaya arrived at the zoo in 2023. X-rays, ultrasounds and biopsies failed to give a clear diagnosis.

When the swelling worsened in 2025, Masaya was taken to Liverpool for a CT scan. Staff brought full anaesthesia equipment, medications and blankets for the transfer.

Veterinary teams judged surgery the only option to save her limb. The mass was likely a persistent abscess, possibly from an old thorn injury.

Veterinary team

Charlotte Bentley, a Veterinary Officer at the zoo’s Animal Health Centre, described the logistical challenge of taking a monkey to vet school. She said the team prepared extensively for the procedure.

Rachel Burrow, a vet and lecturer at the University of Liverpool, led the scan and operation. She said the procedure was the last chance to save Masaya’s foot, and that the animal is now comfortable.

Birth and maternal care

Masaya gave birth to a daughter, Little Lagertha, two weeks ago. This is Masaya’s third daughter.

Primate keeper Zoe Edwards reported that Masaya is parenting well. The newborn is small, curious and already exploring the roloway monkey habitat.

The successful healing of Masaya’s foot reassured staff. Had amputation been more extensive, concerns existed about her ability to hold and care for offspring.

Conservation implications

The birth marks a significant moment for roloway monkey conservation. The species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Roloway monkeys once lived across Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Their numbers have fallen by roughly 80 percent due to hunting and the illegal pet trade.

Populations now persist only in isolated pockets of old-growth forest. Chester Zoo is one of two UK institutions housing roloway monkeys, and few breeding females remain in European zoos.

The combination of successful veterinary intervention and a new offspring offers hope. Filmogaz.com will continue to follow developments in this conservation story.