Endangered Monkey Gives Birth After Surgery Saves Her Foot

Masaya, a 15-year-old roloway monkey at Chester Zoo, is cradling her newborn baby girl just months after surgeons saved her from losing her foot.

The new mom underwent complex surgery last summer to remove a golf ball-sized mass from her foot. Veterinarians from Chester Zoo partnered with specialists from the University of Liverpool's Small Animal Teaching Hospital to perform the delicate procedure, which preserved her foot and all but one toe.

The stakes were incredibly high. If Masaya had lost her foot, she might never have been able to hold or care for a baby. "If she'd had an amputation, we'd have been left with real questions about whether she could hold her offspring or continue with her normal behaviours," the zoo explained.

After months of recovery, Masaya proved those worries unnecessary. She recently gave birth to Lagertha, a healthy baby whose arrival carries special significance beyond one mother's joy.

Roloway monkeys are vanishing from our planet. Fewer than 2,000 remain in the wild, clinging to shrinking forests in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire where habitat loss and poaching continue their devastating work. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists them as critically endangered.

Chester Zoo is one of only two locations in the U.K. that house roloway monkeys. Masaya plays a crucial role in the European conservation breeding program, making her health essential to the species' survival.

Her medical journey began after recurring foot problems following her arrival at the zoo in 2023. When swelling intensified in 2025, the team made an unusual call: transporting her to vet school for advanced imaging.

"It's not every day you take a monkey to vet school," veterinary officer Charlotte Bentley said. "She's been an absolute trooper all the way through, and I'm just glad we were able to do something for her."

Veterinary surgeon Rachel Burrow called the operation Masaya's "last chance" to save her foot. The surgical team worked carefully to preserve her ability to grip, climb, and eventually care for offspring.

Why This Inspires

Masaya's story shows what's possible when medical expertise meets conservation dedication. Her surgical team didn't just treat a patient; they protected an entire bloodline of one of Earth's rarest monkeys. Every roloway monkey birth matters when your entire species could fit in a small town.

Now fully healed, Masaya is teaching Lagertha the skills she'll need to thrive, proving that sometimes the greatest conservation victories happen one tiny toe at a time.