Footage of new arrivals at Camperdown Wildlife Centre

Camperdown Wildlife Centre have released  stunning slow motion footage of one of their latest arrivals. The footage shows a male Lar Gibbon using his long arms to propel himself across the enclosure from point to point via hanging ropes.

Two Lar Gibbons arrived at the centre on 18 August, 2017 from Zoo de Bordeaux Pessac. The male and female Gibbons are currently in isolation and will remain so for 30 days although they are visible to the public. The  female is 6 years old and named Shany and her younger brother Malakou is 3 years old. The primates are settling in well and have even begun ‘singing’. This occurs in duets to state a home territory where two gibbons live.

Aileen Whitelaw, Wildlife Centre Manager

“We’re delighted that they seem to have settled in well and that we can share this footage with the public. A sign that they comfortable is that they have begun singing. By having ours 'sing' means that they seem settled and regard what they can see around them as home.”

Gibbons live  between 30-40 years in captivity. Their conservation status is endangered and their distribution in the wild centres on Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. Colouring of Lar Gibbons can vary from sandy-brown to black and this can be the case for both male and female. Facial disk, hands and feet are always white. Gibbons propel themselves by hanging and swinging from point to point

Threats in the wild include deforestation for farming, palm oil plantations, road construction, illegal logging and human settlements.