Timed to announce right now (Tuesday) on International Gibbon Day, the toddler was not too long ago born on the zoo and has been rigorously seemed over by a workforce of knowledgeable keepers and veterinarians.
The feminine toddler, who’s but to be named, was born to mom Valentina, who’s 25-years-old and 43-year-old father Helmut.
Both Helmut and Valentina are essential people throughout the EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) for pileated gibbons, attributable to their genetics.
The programme, which runs throughout zoos in Europe, consists of simply 56 people and is coordinated by Twycross Zoo. It goals to preserve a wholesome inhabitants of those animals in zoos, so this latest beginning is an actual success for the continued safety of the species.
Twycross Zoo’s pileated selection reside alongside three different gibbon species of their world-class Gibbon Forest habitat.
The new arrival nonetheless spends all her time together with her mum, however is turning into more and more conscious of her environment. The toddler will stay together with her dad and mom for a number of extra years as she grows and develops.
Lynsey Bugg, Curator at Twycross Zoo, is the EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) co-ordinator for the pileated gibbon.
She saod:“We’re delighted to announce the birth of a pileated gibbon at Twycross Zoo.
“It’s always a special moment when we welcome any new arrival and this birth is incredibly important as part of the pileated gibbon EEP, which is dedicated to protecting future populations of the species, who continue to face severe threats in the wild.
“As a conservation charity, our over arching aim is to help save the species with whom we share our planet through conservation action.
“We recently unveiled our ambitious new Conservation Strategy, and supporting healthy ex-situ populations of species is one of our six core conservation goals that will help maximise our impact in the fight against extinction.”
The pileated gibbon species is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is native to Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. Pileated gibbons are sexually dimorphic (completely different) – males are black with white arms, toes and face crest, whereas females are white-grey with a black cap and chest.
The species faces quite a few threats within the wild, most critically deforestation and habitat loss, as wild forest is transformed into farmland or used for human developments. Pileated gibbons are additionally threatened by trying to find meat and the pet commerce.
