MonaLisa, her hope.

MonaLisa has adopted Rosita. Or perhaps it is the other way around because Rosita will now not allow MonaLisa out of her sight for even a moment. This reflects the tragedy of taking a wild animal out of the forest and introducing her to human care. MonaLisa has no interest in male Howlers. She did not have her own mother to guide her and teach her the way of the forest. She does not recognize male howlers as sexual partners. She does not see them, as a route to what we know is her fervent hope. She desperately wants to be a mother but does not know how. Rosita is the second young howler that she has adopted. She also fostered Sophie. In the time before Rosita’s arrival, MonaLisa attached herself to every young human she could find, giving the tongue signal. Female howlers are always the most active in setting up a relationship, by moving the tongue in and out. If they get an appropriate response, they continue with a relationship, if not the female moves on to another prospect. When I observed her courting with young humans, it brought me to tears. We have tried hard to introduce her to male howlers but so far in vain.
In our pictures today, you see how pretty Rosita loves her food and how rapidly she is growing. The second picture shows her seated on MonaLisa’s back. This is her position for most of the day.