New Arrival: Lar Gibbon (A Birthday Girl!)

Lincoln Park Zoo’s primate population has just added one more gorgeous member! JC, a lar or white-handed gibbon, has arrived to be a companion to 15-year-old white-cheeked gibbon Murray.

JC comes to Chicago from Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where she was born to mom Chanee and dad Leo. In fact, it’s her sixth birthday today! Her arrival here at Lincoln Park Zoo was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Gibbon Species Survival Plan®. JC and Murray are from different ape species, but these species are often placed together in AZA institutions to keep each other company.

Lar gibbons (Hylobates lar) are from Southeast Asia. Unlike some species of gibbons, their hair color is unrelated to their gender or life stage. JC is a beautiful dark cream color, but other lar gibbons may be beige or brown or black. Lar gibbons live high in the canopy of forested regions and typically in groups of one male, one female, and their offspring. They are frugivores, although they also eat leaves, insects, and eggs. These gibbons are endangered as a result of being hunted for bushmeat and for the pet trade. They are also affected by the expansion of palm oil plantations.

JC appears to be acclimating well to her new life and seems ready to share a new territory with Murray as she becomes integrated as his social companion. Columbus Zoo keepers, who describe JC as “chill,” “curious” and “confident,” report that she seemed comfortable at Lincoln Park Zoo right away. Within a day of arrival, she had chosen a hammock for lounging, completed a training session with her new keepers, and was foraging successfully.

Lincoln Park Zoo keepers say she is gentle and energetic and has been the one to initiate cautious contact with Murray. She has also been thoroughly exploring her new home. And she loves grapes and hard-shelled nuts as treats!

Check out the two gibbons—one black with white cheeks, one creamy brown—in the habitat on the west side of Helen Brach Primate House, which has viewing areas both outside and indoors. The outdoor canopy also has “brachiation bars” to allow the gibbons to use their natural swinging locomotion style, in which they form their hands into loose hooks to traverse the length of the habitat.

And keep an ear out for gibbon song, as both species of gibbon are known for their long, distinctive calls. While JC is still young and hasn’t been known to make this type of vocalization yet, her move to Lincoln Park Zoo is part of her maturing process and she may start to develop some new adult behaviors.

Check out this video of her first day in the gibbon habitat: