On a day when the Astros could use some good news, the Houston Zoo delivered.
Wednesday, the zoo announced the debut of Tuve, a baby howler monkey born March 20 and named in honor of Jose Altuve on his 36th birthday. The name carries a double meaning: it’s a nod to Altuve’s nickname, and a nod to their shared South American roots. Altuve was born in Venezuela; howler monkeys are native to South American regions including the Pantanal, one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands.
“Altuve hits dingers. Tuve turns up the volume,” the zoo wrote in a birthday post celebrating the Astros star.
Tuve is already out in the habitat with his family—mom Charlie, dad Howie, and older sister Riley—and guests visiting the South America’s Pantanal exhibit may be able to spot him clinging to his mother. Howler monkeys are among the loudest land animals on Earth, known for their booming calls. Whether Tuve inherited that trait remains to be seen.
The zoo also announced the birth of a white-cheeked gibbon on April 28 to longtime residents Ting and Max. The as-yet-unnamed newborn is the couple’s second son and younger brother to Marv, who made history in 2023 as the first white-cheeked gibbon born at the Houston Zoo. White-cheeked gibbons are critically endangered in their native Southeast Asia.
Both young primates will be on view during the zoo’s Mother’s Day celebration on Sunday, May 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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