Zoo welcomes birth of rare gibbon

Pictures: Mogens Johansen

A baby white-cheeked gibbon named Nakai is being hand reared at Perth Zoo after his mother struggled to care for him after his birth.

Perth Zoo primate keeper Holly Thompson said the 8-week-old gibbon required around the clock care.

“He’s on nine feeds a day of a milk formula,” she said.

GALLERY

“He’s kept at the vet department here at Perth Zoo but he visits his family of white-cheeked gibbons up to five times a day.”

Ms Thompson said Nakai weighed just 610g at birth but had grown to over a kilogram.

“Nakai continues to build his strength using branches … he’ll put hibiscus flowers and leaves in his mouth,” she said.

“He’s coming along really, really well.”

Perth Zoo is part of a regional breeding program for the critically endangered gibbons and Nakai is the 8th white-cheeked gibbon born at the zoo.

Nakai is one of seven white-cheeked gibbons at Perth Zoo, and one of only 15 in the Australasian region.

Ms Thompson said people could help gibbons by choosing sustainable timber and not encouraging the exploitation of wildlife by paying to have their picture taken with endangered species.