On September 29, an infant white-cheeked gibbon was born at Poland’s Zoo Wroclaw. The baby is the child of Xian and Carusa and is believed to be a male. The population of white-cheeked gibbons in the wild is declining at an alarming pace. Only 150-160 individuals have been counted in nature. Zoos are becoming their only chance for their survival. Carusa and Xian are the only pair of white-cheeked gibbons in Poland. Just over 200 in zoos around the world have them in care.

On the 12th January 2021, Port Lympne welcomed a newborn male Javan Gibbon!

Port Lympne has rewilded 7 Javan gibbons from Port Lympne and their sister park, Howletts.

Aspinall Foundation is the world’s most successful breeder of Javan gibbons with more than 50 births so far at Port Lympne and Howletts.

Javan gibbons live in the rain forest regions of Java, which is an island in Indonesia.

Like all gibbons, Javan gibbons have very long forelimbs, long fingers and shorter thumbs which make them great brachiators. That means they swing between branches in trees.

Javan Gibbons have a fluffy appearance because of their very dense and long silvery-grey fur.

Family groups are made up of a male and female and up to three juvenile offspring.

The Assiniboine Park Zoo is thrilled to announce the birth of a White-handed Gibbon on February 4.

This is the first offspring for mom, Maya, and dad, Samson, who were matched on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan Program and selected to be the first residents of the Zoo’s new Gibbon habitat, which opened in June 2017.

“Maya and Samson appeared to be a really good match right from the start, and we have been looking forward to this possibility for some time, so this is very exciting news for our staff, volunteers and visitors,” said Grant Furniss, Sr. Director, Zoological Operations.

For the past week, the Gibbon family has been enjoying privacy in an off-exhibit holding area where the animal care team can discreetly monitor them to ensure that both mom and baby are doing well. Maya is proving to be an attentive mother and the baby is doing well, so the Gibbons have now been given access to their indoor habitat, which is currently closed to visitors.

The baby’s sex is not yet known, as staff are currently taking a “hands off” approach and will only intervene and examine the baby if necessary.

Photo Credits: Assiniboine Park Zoo

White-handed Gibbons (Hylobates lar) are small tailless apes with soft, thick fur that can vary from black to a pale fawn colour. They live in trees and are among the fastest of all primates, using their very long arms to swing effortlessly among the branches.

They are currently classified as “Endangered” by the IUCN, due to habitat loss and hunting. They are found mainly in tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia, where palm oil production is on the rise. Palm oil is found in many food products, cosmetics, soaps, candles, and even fuel. Visitors to the Zoo can learn what they can do to bring change to the palm oil industry by supporting companies that use traceable, sustainable palm oil.

The Assiniboine Park Zoo has a very successful history with breeding Gibbons. Maya was born at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in January 2011. Her parents, Mel and Manju, both lived in Winnipeg before being transferred to Safari Niagara in 2011 when the former monkey house was decommissioned. Samson’s father, Chan, was also born at Assiniboine Park Zoo in 1992 and lived here for two years, before moving to Edmonton.

Conservationists at Chester Zoo have celebrated an unprecedented number of births in 2018, including some of the world’s rarest and most at-risk species.

Sun Bear

Adorable cub Kyra was the first Sun Bear to be born in the UK. Her birth was caught on the zoo’s CCTV cameras and people around the globe watched Kyra’s first moments with her mom. Kyra’s parents, Milli and Toni, were both rescued from poachers in Cambodia.    

Conservationists estimate that less than 1,000 Sun Bears remain in the wild across Southeast Asia. Deforestation and commercial hunting for their body parts have decimated their numbers.

Chimpanzee

Critically endangered Western Chimpanzee Stevie was the first of her kind to be born at Chester Zoo in nearly 10 years.

Stevie’s birth followed a scientific project, spanning several years, which carefully assessed the genetics of all Chimpanzees in zoos across Europe. The study confirmed that the troop of Chimps at Chester Zoo is the highly-threatened West African subspecies – one of the rarest in the world – establishing them as a critically important breeding population. It is estimated that as few as 18,000 West African Chimpanzees now remain in the wild.

Asian Elephant

After an unusually long pregnancy believed to have lasted 25 months, Asian Elephant Thi Hi Way gave birth to a healthy male calf, who keepers named Anjan.

A major Chester Zoo project in Assam, northern India, has successfully found ways to eliminate conflict between local communities and the nearby Asian Elephant population, offering a blueprint for the future conservation of the species.

Greater One-horned Rhino

The momentous birth of Greater One-horned Rhino calf Akeno, born to mom Asha, was captured on CCTV cameras at the zoo.

Keepers watched as Asha delivered her calf safely onto to soft bedding after a 16-month-long gestation and 20-minute labor.

At one stage, the Greater One-horned Rhino was hunted almost to extinction and less than 200 survived in the wild. Thankfully, steps to protect the Rhinos were taken just in time and today there are around 3,500 in India and Nepal.

Okapi

A rare Okapi calf named Semuliki arrived to first-time parents K’tusha and Stomp. The Okapi is found only deep in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo and its highly secretive nature contributed to it being completely unknown to science until 1901.

Despite being a national symbol and protected under Congolese law, Okapi populations declined in the wild by nearly 50% over the past two decades and the species is now listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Bell’s Anglehead Lizards

A clutch of rare baby  Bell’s Anglehead Lizards – also known as Borneo Forest Dragons – hatched at the zoo, helping conservationists uncover more about the species’ breeding patterns, life cycle and habits.

The Lizards’ wild south Asian habitat however, is being decimated to make way for unsustainable palm oil plantations – a threat which is pushing many species in the region to the very edge of existence.

Silvery Gibbon

The birth of a tiny Silvery Gibbon astonished visitors to the zoo who were able to admire the infant just minutes after its birth. 

Conservationists hailed the arrival of this highly endangered primate, with just 4,000 of its kind now remaining on the island of Java, Indonesia, where the species is now listed as endangered by the IUCN.

Flamingos

Keepers were tickled pink by the arrival of 21 Flamingo chicks. Each of the fluffy newcomers was carefully hand fed by the zoo’s bird experts four times a day for five weeks until they were developed enough to fully feed for themselves.

Flamingo chicks are white or grey in color when they first hatch, resembling little balls of cotton wool, and begin to develop their famous pink plumage at around six months old.

Babirusa

The first set of Babirusa triplets were born at the zoo, a huge boost to the species which has experienced a recent population crash on the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Once considered fairly common, the rapid decline comes as result of hunting for their meat and habitat loss, which has seen Babirusas disappear from many parts of the island.

Eastern Black Rhino

The arrival of Jumaane, a rare Eastern Black Rhino calf, left a handful of lucky zoo visitors in shock as his birth took place right in front of them.

Conservationists now estimate that fewer than 650 Eastern Black Rhino remain across Africa – a staggeringly low number driven by an increase in poaching to meet demand for rhino horn, which supplies the traditional Asian medicine market.

The birth of Jumaane is another vital boost to the Europe-wide breeding program which is crucial for the conservation of this critically endangered species.

A rare baby Gibbon is the latest addition to the “biggest baby boom of mammals” on record at Chester Zoo.

The Silvery Gibbon – one of the world’s most threatened primates – was born to mom Tilu, age 10, and 19-year-old dad Alven on October 10 after a gestation of around 210 days.

The tiny, pink-faced primate is much too small to be sexed and therefore has not yet been named.

Photo Credit: Chester Zoo

Gibbons are built for life in the trees and use their extra-long arms to swing from branch to branch, a technique called brachiation. As mom travels in the treetops, her baby clings tightly to her chest using its long fingers.

As the baby matures, it will begin to venture away from mom for brief periods. Like most Apes, Gibbons grow relatively slowly and depend on their mothers for a long period. Females give birth approximately once every three years. Silvery Gibbons are uncommon in zoos.

Silvery Gibbons, also known as Javan Gibbons, are found only on the Indonesian island of Java. These Apes are restricted to mountainous areas with dense forest cover. Though habitat loss is an issue on heavily-populated Java, the areas where Gibbons are found are very remote and rugged, so Gibbon populations have stabilized. Nonetheless, Silvery Gibbons are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Fewer than 5,000 individuals remain in more than 15 locations on the island. Only about half of the Gibbons live in protected areas.  

See more photos of the baby Gibbon below.

Zoo Wroclaw is excited to announce the birth of a Northern White-cheeked Gibbon. The baby arrived on June 28^th, and the sex is not yet known.

Zoo Wrocław is now home to a total of three Northern White-cheeked Gibbons. The infant’s parents both arrived in October 2013. The first one to make their home at the Zoo was 9-year-old dad, Xian. He was born in Apeldorn, NL, and was sent to Wrocław via the zoo in Pilsen, Czech Republic. A week later, Xian was joined by female, Carusa. She was born in 2006 at the Osnabrück Zoo, Germany. The pair’s first offspring, a male called Dao, was born on October 17, 2014.

Photo Credits: Zoo Wroclaw 

Christmas has come early at Adelaide Zoo with the arrival of a special gift…a critically endangered White-cheeked Gibbon baby! Born in the early hours of December 10, the infant is the fourth offspring of parents Viet and Remus.

The birth is a significant achievement for Adelaide Zoo, as the youngster is one of only four White-cheeked Gibbon infants to be born at the zoo in its 130-year history.

The infant is extremely important to the international breeding program working to save the White-cheeked Gibbon from extinction. With a declining trend in the wild population of at least 80 per cent over the past 45 years, the species is classified as “Critically Endangered” by the IUCN. It is in serious decline in its native Laos, Vietnam and Southern China, due to deforestation and poaching for the wildlife trade.

Photo Credits: Zoos SA/Adrian Mann

Adelaide Zoo Senior Primate Keeper, Jodie Ellen, said Viet and Remus were doting parents, while older sisters Nhu and Tien were fascinated by the new addition. “The baby is absolutely adorable and is looking strong and healthy, clinging tightly to mum, which is important considering they live high up in the tree tops of their island home,” Jodie said.

“Viet and Rhemus are incredibly loving and capable parents and it’s heart-warming to the entire family caring for the little one. Older sisters Nhu and Tien are excited by the new addition to the family and will play a very hands-on role in the upbringing of the new baby,” Jodie added.

The new family spent the first few days relaxing between their night quarters and their leafy island habitat.

White-cheeked Gibbons are born a golden color before gradually turning black. Females turn gold again when they reach maturity at around five years of age while males remain black. The baby’s gender is not yet known and it may be many months before it can be determined.

Keepers at the Paignton Zoo are cautiously optimistic that a rare Pileated Gibbon baby will survive despite being born several weeks prematurely.

Born September 19 to parents Shukdi and Hantu, the baby would be the first of its species to be reared during the zoo’s 15-year breeding program.

Photo Credit:  Miriam Haas

Like all Gibbons, a Pileated Gibbon baby clings to its mother’s belly for the first several months of life.  Because the baby is so closely held by mom, keepers are often unable to determine the baby's gender until it begins exploring on its own.     

Male and female Pileated Gibbons display sexual dimorphism – males and females look differently from one another.  Females have light-colored bodies and dark faces, while males have all black fur with white markings. 

Found in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, Pileated Gibbons live in the treetops and feed during the day on fruit, leaves, and small animals.  They are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, due to hunting and severe habitat loss and fragmentation. 

See more photos of the baby Gibbon below.

A baby White-handed Gibbon born at the Indianapolis Zoo on October 23 is the first offspring for its parents and the first Gibbon ever born at the zoo!

Photo Credit:  Carla Knapp

Zoo keepers do not yet know the gender of the little Gibbon, because for the first several weeks the baby clings tightly to mom’s belly.  These gripping skills are important, because mom uses both arms to swing through the trees in a fluid motion called brachiation.  That means it’s up to the baby to hang on by gripping mom’s fur.  Mom helps a bit by holding her legs up to create a supportive “seat” for the baby.

Though this is the first baby for female Koko and her mate Elliot, both are doing a great job caring for their infant.  White-handed Gibbons’ fur colors include tan, brown, and black.  The baby takes after Koko and has black fur.

Native to Southeast Asia, Gibbons are known for their elaborate vocalizations, which mated pairs engage in daily as a way to reinforce their bond.  These Apes also sing to announce their territories to other Gibbons.  As it grows, the baby Gibbon will join its parents’ song.

White-handed Gibbons are listed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to illegal hunting and habitat loss from forest clearing for agriculture and the construction of non-sustainable palm oil plantations.

On April 29, 2013, it's doubtful anyone, at Greensboro Science Center, knew how much of an impact the tiny Javan Gibbon, born that day, would have on the facility or the community. The rare, endangered male was born to mom, ‘Isabella’, in the Center’s indoor Gibbon habitat.

In both the wild and in zoos, it’s not unusual for first-time mother Gibbons to abandon their first child, and that’s exactly what happened to the fragile newborn, who was discovered alone in the Gibbon habitat. Thanks to the expert care of zoo keepers, veterinarians, and the staff of a local hospital, the baby, named ‘Duke’, was revived and stabilized. To give Duke the best chance of survival, zoo staffers decided to hand-rear the baby for the next six months, and then try to reintroduce him to his parents, Isabella and Leon, in the exhibit.

ZooBorns shared Duke’s compelling story in two installments: in his birth announcement and in a later update that chronicled his progress. 

Photos: Greensboro Science Center ; Video: The University of North Carolina Center for Public Television

We have since learned there is more to Duke’s touching story. The University of North Carolina Center for Public Television recently produced a short segment for the program “North Carolina Weekend”, that aired on their local PBS station.

The segment chronicles Duke’s dramatic entrance into the world, his reintroduction to his family, and his traumatic ordeal with a broken arm.

Two-year-old Duke has become a symbol of perseverance, and his story also reiterates how important man is to the equation of conservation and stewardship of the animal kingdom.