Santa Barbara Zoo’s White-Handed Gibbon Gives Birth in Front of Visitors

It’s definitely not something you see every day. 

Guests at the Santa Barbara Zoo on Saturday, August 29 witnessed quite the spectacle: the birth of an endangered white-handed gibbon smack dab in the middle of the gibbons’ habitat. 

The newborn ape arrived at approximately 4:45 p.m., giving guests who happened to be there an incredible view of the birth. 

It is the first baby for the zoo’s pair of white-handed gibbons, Chanee and Mel. Nineteen-year-old Chanee has had three babies with other partners, but 24-year-old Mel is a first-time father. 

The apes — not monkeys, because they don’t have tails — were matched and brought to the zoo last year under the guidance of the Species Survival Plan, a collaborative program to support the long-term survival of endangered species in accredited zoos.

Chanee the white-handed gibbon tends to her newborn. Credit: Santa Barbara Zoo

White-handed gibbons — named for their distinctive white markings on their hands and feet — are equipped with long arms to traverse the tall trees of tropical rainforests in Southeast Asia. But rainforest destruction and poaching pose big threats to the survival of the species, and they are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

The zoo’s animal care team had been “eagerly anticipating” the first baby from Chanee and Mel, according to the zoo’s announcement. 

“Gibbons don’t show many outward signs of pregnancy, but we suspected Chanee was expecting and had been supporting her with prenatal vitamins, so the timing of this birth was a wonderful surprise,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, the zoo’s vice president of Animal Care & Health. 

“Mom and baby are both doing well, and our team will be watching closely for bonding as Chanee cares for the baby in the habitat,” she said.

Gibbons typically live in small family groups consisting of two parents and their offspring. Young gibbons remain with their family for several years as they develop the skills needed for an independent life, according to the zoo. 

For now, the little ape will remain close to its mother, who carries the infant as it grows. The zoo said it will take some time to identify the baby’s sex. However, zoo guests will have the chance to see mother and baby bonding in their habitat. 

The baby gibbon protocol is different than it was for the zoo’s red panda cubs, who were sheltered behind the scenes with their mother following their birth in July. 

Sadly, due to complications and the generally high mortality rate for red pandas cubs, they did not survive. Their mother soon followed, likely due to hormonal complications from her pregnancy. 

That tragic news was followed by updates in August on the health of the zoo’s two capybaras, one of which, Poppy, was euthanized due to an “inoperable mass” in her throat and the other, Antonio, was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer. Antonio is undergoing treatment and is stable, the zoo said in a recent update. 

The gibbons’ baby was welcome news for the zoo’s care team after so much heartbreak. Data show that infant survival rates for gibbons in captivity is generally high, especially for zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, such as the Santa Barbara Zoo.