Baby gibbon born at Toledo Zoo

A baby gibbon was born on November 27, 2012 at the Toledo Zoo. Animal care staff  have not determined its gender and are allowing the mother and baby to bond without human intervention.

This is the third offspring for mother Hue (pronounced “way”) and father Batu. Hue is providing acceptable maternal care, which is good news because gibbons are thought to have a higher incidence of maternal neglect than other primate species.

Hue is owned by the Oregon Zoo, while Batu is owned by the National Zoo; both animals arrived here on loan in 1998. The group, including Batu and Hue’s other two offspring, are on exhibit together in the Zoo’s Primate Forest.
 

Photo credit Toledo Zoo/Katie Clifton.

Hue and her baby are easy to spot because both are cream-colored, while the other gibbons (all males) are black. Baby gibbons are born a cream color, darkening as they mature. Males stay black their whole lives, but females, when they reach maturity, change back to a cream color.

This baby gibbon’s arrival is more than great news for the Zoo; it’s important for the preservation of this species, which is critically endangered and faces extinction. In Southeast Asia -- where gibbons spend all their lives in the trees of tropical rainforests -- deforestation, hunting and poaching threaten their survival. The species’ population numbers continue to decline.

As part of the ongoing efforts to preserve the species, the Toledo Zoo participates in a Species Survival Plan (SSP) in conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Through this cooperative breeding and conservation program, the Zoo works with other zoos around the country to help ensure a future for many species, including the gibbon.

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Revised: 01/15/13 19:16:24 -0800.