UTICA – The Utica Zoo is excited to announce their female, white-handed gibbon, Snowflake, gave birth to a healthy baby on Monday, January 30. This is an extraordinary circumstance because Snowflake is 35 years old, and her male companion, Yoda is 38 years old.

Members of the animal care and veterinary teams have been monitoring the new mother and baby and have determined that both are in great health. The baby, which is still not named, as well as Snowflake and Yoda will remain off public exhibit to give the family time to bond and continue to care for the baby.  The winter weather will also be a factor to determine when the gibbon will be seen out in their habitat.  The two-week offspring is still without any fur for protection against the elements.

The zoo is authorized from the Gibbon, Lar (White-Handed) Species Survival Program for the two gibbons to breed, but due to their age it was not anticipated that they would be successful. This is the third time Snowflake and Yoda became parents while at the Utica Zoo. Their last birth was 23 years ago to female Malay who now resides at Zoo Knoxville.

“It’s our understanding that it is very rare for gibbons under human care and with their advanced age to successfully breed,” Andria Heath, Utica Zoo Executive Director said. “We strongly believe this was a result of the excellent care the gibbons receive on a daily basis from our animal care and veterinary team, as well as a testament to the significant improvements that were made on their habitat in 2018 as part of the ‘We Don’t Like It Either’ Campaign.”

White-handed gibbons are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. This is due, in part, to the flourishing illegal pet trade in Thailand in which they are hunted, captured, traded, and exploited. The deforestation of their forest habitat is also a threat and is becoming more of a problem. Protected conservation areas provide the greatest survival rates for populations of this species, although the ongoing agricultural development through these areas increases both fragmentation and access for hunters.

The Utica Zoo creates unique experiences and promotes public appreciation of wildlife through education, conservation, and recreation and is home to over 200 exotic and domestic animals, welcoming over 100,000 visitors annually. For more information on this, and all things Utica Zoo, visit UticaZoo.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Additional Facts About White-Handed Gibbons:

• What is the social structure of a white-handed gibbon? White-handed gibbons live in social family groups of two to six members, typically consisting of a mated pair and their offspring. The species is mostly monogamous, with an adult breeding couple usually forming lifelong bonds.

These pairs usually give birth to one infant gibbon every 2 to 2.5 years. Typically, the baby gibbon clings to its mother’s belly for most of its first year. However, since the father stays around as part of the family unit, the dad may carry the gibbon as the baby gets older. The babies will then start to spend time away from their family unit when they turn about 6. They will reach maturity between 6 and 10 years old. During this time, younger siblings may be born. At any one time, as many as 4 offspring may live within a gibbon’s family unit.