New Siamang Baby at the ABQ BioPark Zoo
Brian and Johore welcome their fourth offspring.
June 18, 2021 - The ABQ BioPark’s siamang family recently grew to four with Johore giving birth on Saturday, June 12.
"Johore and the baby are doing great," said Lynn Tupa, Zoo manager. The 30-year-old siamang is an experienced mother, having welcomed four other babies over the years with 32-year-old partner Brian.
Tupa said that Brian and 4-year-old brother Eerie are being "very cautious" around the baby. "Eerie is very curious, but dad Brian has been keeping him distracted and entertained while mom and baby bond."
Visitors can try to spot the new baby during their next visit, as the entire family will be out, weather permitting.
Siamangs are social gibbons that live in family groups of up to six individuals consisting of an adult dominant male, an adult dominant female, offspring and sometimes a sub-adult.
The birth was part of a Species Survival Plan (SSP) for siamangs, which are endangered in the wild due to habitat loss in Indonesia and Malaysia. SSPs, managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), aim to cooperatively manage threatened and endangered species at AZA-accredited facilities.