LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KFSM) — The Little Rock Zoo announced the successful birth of a healthy female baby gibbon on October 31, 2019.
Mother, Paddy, and father, Jeepers, have had three offspring together since 2004.
The new baby can be seen at the gibbon habitat with her family in the mornings, weather permitting.
Paddy carries her baby with her in the outdoor exhibit, often shielding it from view by turning her back to visitors.
The birth comes at the recommendation of the Gibbon SSP, a program that manages gibbon species in zoos. Developed to protect gibbons, the SSP Program coordinates species conservation, research, husbandry, management and educational initiatives.
Native to South East Asia, Hylobates lar gibbons are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning there is a very high risk of their extinction in the wild. Their vulnerability is primarily due to degradation or loss of their forest habitat.
Though the number of Hylobates lar gibbons left in the wild is unknown, the Little Rock Zoo works diligently to continue to protect this special animal through expert conservation practices and participation in the Gibbon Species Survival Plan.
