Zoo Welcomes White-Cheeked Gibbon
The Oregon Zoo is in full swing this week as new arrival Harper joins fellow white-cheeked gibbon Duffy in Red Ape Reserve. Visitors can find the playful pair swinging through the trees in the habitat they share with the orangutan family.
“Harper and Duffy started interacting right away,” said Kate Gilmore, who oversees the zoo’s primate area. “They traveled around the habitat together, then took a break to groom each other.”
White-cheeked gibbons bond through grooming, playing and swinging from tree to tree using their long arms. They also “sing” to one another to strengthen their bonds and mark their territory. Though they all share the species’ signature white cheeks, Gilmore says there’s an easy way to tell Harper and Duffy apart.
“Male white-cheeked gibbons have black fur, but females like Harper turn white or tan in adulthood,” Gilmore said.