Critically Endangered Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon Baby Born in Houston Zoo

A critically endangered northern white-cheeked gibbon gave birth to a youngster at the Houston Zoo, marking a first for the species.

The zoo in Texas published some sweet images of a new mother cuddling with her newborn, whom they described as a "cheeky new baby."

Critically Endangered Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon

According to a June 13 press release by the Houston Zoo, northern white-cheeked gibbon couple Ting and Max gave birth to the furry baby on May 30 at the zoo. At the Houston Zoo, a gibbon was born for the first time this time. The birth of the gibbon baby boy is all the more amazing because gibbons are critically endangered in the wild.

While the mother and baby gibbons are both bonding and doing well, the first few weeks are essential, according to zoo authorities, and the animal care staff is keeping a careful eye on both of them. The honor of naming the infant will go to the keepers who have devoted their entire life to caring for the gibbons. In pictures posted to the zoo's Facebook page, the mother can be seen breastfeeding her kid. "A dose of cuteness," the zoo remarked on June 18, Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Physical Features

One of the many distinctive characteristics of white-cheeked gibbons is that their fur is dimorphic in color. Thus, all white-cheeked gibbons are born with fur cream in color, which turns to black at the age of two. They then start to grow their recognizable white cheek patches. While females turn back to their original cream hue, males will remain black.

The extraordinarily long arms of gibbons are another characteristic that sets them apart from other primates. The arms of White-cheeked Gibbons are the longest in proportion to their bodies of any primate. In fact, they can swing from tree to tree since their arms are longer compared to their legs.

Reproduction

The northern white-cheeked gibbon has a 28-day menstrual cycle and a seven-month gestation period. Every two to three years, a single baby is born to white-cheeked gibbons. From birth, babies cling to their mothers. Newborns are frequently observed hanging across the abdomens of their mothers. This enables the moms to sit like most gibbons do, with their knees raised.

Older babies position their abdomens vertically. Early in the second year, children are weaned. When the children are fully grown, they often leave the parental unit and look for their territory and partner.

Feeding

The main foods that white-cheeked gibbons consume are ripe fruits, leaves, and a limited quantity of invertebrates. They consume young leaves 35% of the time and fruit 65% of the time when they are eating. They spend most of their time moving and feeding in the higher and intermediate levels of the canopy and hardly ever descend to the ground. Families frequently have meals under the trees, according to Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.

Conservation

According to the Houston Zoo, visits to the Zoo can aid in the preservation of wild primates across the globe. Each Zoo membership and entry fee includes a percentage that goes toward the Zoo's support of animal conservation efforts in Africa, Asia, and South America. The Houston Zoo supplies equipment for anti-poaching patrols, participates in community-led reforestation projects to conserve and restore habitat, and offers skilled medical care to treat and rehabilitate sick and injured monkeys.