Rare white-cheeked gibbon born at Perth zoo

Perth is just one of three zoos in Australasia breeding the critically endangered species in a bid to prevent extinction

Australian Associated Press

Wed 5 Jun 2019 06.16 BSTLast modified on Wed 5 Jun 2019 08.51 BST

A newborn white-cheeked gibbon, one of the world’s rarest apes, has made its public debut at Perth zoo before keepers have had the chance to determine its gender.

The infant was born 21 days ago to mother Jermei, whose calm nature has allowed zoo visitors to get a glimpse of the new addition.

“While we give mother and baby the space to bond, we haven’t yet determined if it is a male or female, but it has been seen suckling and is strong and healthy,” primate supervisor Holly Thompson said on Wednesday.

“Brother Canh is fascinated by his new sibling but Jermei has had to temper his enthusiasm when he gets a little bit overexcited.

“It’s a lovely family dynamic to watch.”

Perth is just one of three zoos in Australasia breeding the critically endangered species in a bid to prevent extinction.

Habitat destruction across their home range in China, Vietnam and Laos is a major threat to the animals, which are also targeted for the illegal pet trade.

The zoo also helps save the species in the wild, funding monitoring points at Pu Mat national park in Vietnam, which is one of the last white-cheeked gibbon strongholds.

“This is desperately needed as conservationists do not know how few gibbons remain in the wild,” Thompson said.

“We’ve also supported programs to educate more than 700 people living around the park about the rare ape.”

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