Houston Zoo Welcomes First Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon
HOUSTON (June 13, 2023) – It’s a Houston Zoo first! A male northern white-cheeked gibbon was once born on Would possibly 30 to first-time folks Ting and Max. That is the primary time this species has been born on the Houston Zoo. Visitors can see the brand new circle of relatives in Wortham Global of Primates, subsequent to the De Brazza’s monkeys. Whilst mom and child bonding goes neatly this present day, the primary few weeks are the most important, and the animal care crew is maintaining an in depth watch at the pair. The keepers who’ve devoted their lives to taking care of the gibbons may have the distinction of naming the infant.
Northern white-cheeked gibbons are local to southeast Asia, Vietnam, and southern China and are severely endangered within the wild. Their numbers have declined via 80% during the last 45 years, basically because of habitat loss and poaching.
White-cheeked gibbons have numerous distinctive options together with being dimorphic in fur colour. This implies all white-cheeked gibbons are born a cream colour after which trade to black when they’re about two years outdated. At that time, they increase their iconic white cheek patches. Men will keep black whilst women revert again to the cream colour.
Otherwise to inform gibbons except different primates is thru their exceptionally lengthy fingers. White-cheeked gibbons have the longest arm duration relative to frame dimension of any primate. If truth be told, their fingers are longer than their legs which is helping them swing from tree to tree.
Visitors can assist save wild primates all over the world via visiting the Zoo. A portion of each and every Zoo club and admission price ticket helps the Zoo’s flora and fauna conservation paintings in Asia, Africa, and South The united states. The Houston Zoo is helping equip anti-poaching patrols, protects and restores habitat via reforestation tasks led via locals and offers professional veterinary care to heal and rehabilitate ill and injured primates.
Photograph credit score, Jackelin Reyna/Houston Zoo
Video credit score, Kevin Kendrick/Houston Zoo