Sylvester, the new gibbon. Picture: Supplied
Pretoria - Visitors to the Pretoria Zoo will see a new face – a male buff-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae) named Sylvester.
The South African National Biodiversity Institute’s National Zoological Gardens said he came from France.
He arrived in South Africa on May 26, from Le Teste de Buch Zoo.
Sylvester was in quarantine for 30 days and has been integrated into his new home.
The gibbon has been chosen to play a crucial role in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria ex situ studbook programme, owing to his genetic lineage.
His addition to the programme is a significant step towards the conservation of the endangered species.
The Pretoria zoo has participated in this pro gramme since 1988, having produced 15 offspring for the initiative.
Director of conservation at the zoo, Tracy Rehse, said: “Sylvester has already been introduced to his carefully selected partner, and there are already promising signs that they have bonded. The current focus at South African National Biodiversity Institute’s National Zoological Gardens is now to make the pair as happy as possible, and then to let nature take its course.”
She said the pair were expected to make a valuable contribution to the continued conservation efforts of this species.
Buff-cheeked gibbons are native to Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Vietnam.
These remarkable primates exhibit fascinating colour changes during their lifespans. At birth, they are born blond, but within the first year, their fur changes to a striking black hue.
Males retain their black fur throughout their lives, with distinctive golden cheeks that set them apart.
Females change back to the blonde colouration as they reach sexual maturity, except for a notable black cap atop their heads.
Pretoria News