Minnesota Zoo Musical Menagerie White-cheeked Gibbons

1

1

White-cheeked Gibbons

Scientific name: Nomascus leucogenys

White-cheeked gibbons are long-armed apes, made for life in the trees. They suspend their bodies and swing easily from one branch to another, picking up their favorite fruits along the way. Seldom coming to the ground, gibbons prefer the upper canopy of their lowland rainforest habitat in Laos, Vietnam, and extreme southeastern China.

Gibbons live in small family groups made up of a mated pair and their young offspring. Early in the morning, the group often “sings” in unison to claim their feeding area. Instead of physical conflict, the adult pair defends its territory with a loud vocal duet that can be heard for miles through the forest.

You Can Help!

The white-cheeked gibbon is one of the world’s most endangered species of gibbon. Major threats to this species are habitat loss due to logging, illegal hunting for use in traditional medicines, and capture of young for the pet trade. Many zoos are participating in breeding programs for white-cheeked gibbons in an effort to expand the captive population. Learn about the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' partnership with the Wildlife Trafficking Alliance and how they are mobilizing companies to adopt best practices to assure that their goods and services are not being utilized by illegal wildlife traffickers, and to assist in raising public awareness and reducing demand.

Visit mnzoo.org