Visitors to the Denver Zoo can see its latest addition, a 14-year-old male mandrill, a reclusive animal known best for the blue and red markings that distinguish its facial features.
Rafiki was brought to the Denver Zoo from the Toronto Zoo as part of a species-survival plan.
If Rafiki’s name sounds familiar, he shares it with a prominent character from the Disney movie “The Lion King.” The name means “friend” in Swahili.
Mandrills are the largest of all monkey species, according to . They hail from the tropical and coastal forests of central western Africa, the Denver Zoo reports.
The zoo has pledged more than $15,000 over the next three years to a project in Gabon. That project aims to “educate the local population about the importance of mandrills and fund surveillance patrols to reduce bush meat hunting.” The Denver Post Photo: The Denver Zoo
