Kid Territory:Critters: Agile Acrobats
On a warm, sunny day Mel can be found in his favorite position—lounging on his back!
Mel quickly learned that cooperating with his keepers is a great way to get extra treats.
Tina has had three babies with Mel. Adult female red-cheeked gibbons are a light yellow color, and baby gibbons are colored the same until they get older.
Even at a young age, this little gibbon knows how to use those long arms to get around!
Wild Animal Park names: Mel
and Tina
Species: Red-cheeked gibbons
Location: Wild Animal Park's Nairobi Village
Their story
Tina and Mel are a mated pair and have had six offspring together. Mel Gibbon (get it?) was born in 1983. Like all adult male red-cheeked gibbons, he is black with white cheek patches. He is also one intelligent primate! Mel quickly figures out how to get the most food by going along with what the keepers ask of him. When they need Mel to move into a certain room or to come over for a visual check, he knows he’ll get a treat, and he’s the first one there. If a keeper is looking the other way, Mel will tap him or her on the shoulder to get attention.
Mel’s mate, Tina, was born in 1981. She looks quite different from Mel. Adult female red-cheeked gibbons are light yellow with a black stripe down the middle of their heads. Keepers say Tina is a great mom who is very attentive to her offspring. Staff at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park have noticed that Tina seems to like light-haired keepers better than dark-haired ones. How do you suppose she feels about dark-haired Mel? red-cheeked gibbon babies are born the same color as their mother, so they are camouflaged with her fur. But at about a year old, they start to turn black. Later, females will change back to blond.
Athletes in the trees
If gibbons were Olympians, they’d do well in gymnastics. The secret to their success is their arms—the longest of all primates at 2.6 times their body length! Their long, strong arms make it easy for gibbons to move effortlessly hand over hand among the trees. These apes are real swingers! (Because they have no tails, gibbons are classified as apes, not monkeys.) Gibbons rarely come to the ground, but when they do, they walk on their legs just like we do. To move quickly, a gibbon will lift those long arms up high so they won’t drag on the ground!
Our gibbon family’s enclosure is designed with plenty of ropes, platforms, and branches which they use to exercise. When he’s not racing around on the swinging structure, Mel especially likes to use it to lounge on his back in the sun.
In the wild, gibbons live in tropical rain forests in Southeast Asia. Their favorite foods are fruits or leaves of any kind. Keepers also offer Mel and Tina tomatoes, yams, and carrots to snack on. These endangered animals are known for their far-reaching songs, which are used to define territories and strengthen family bonds. Mel, Tina, and their youngsters often sing out, and can be heard clear across the Wild Animal Park!
Where you can see them
The Wild Animal Park’s gibbon family lives behind the Hidden Jungle exhibit. You can spend some time watching them from the viewing platforms installed at different levels along their enclosure in the Park's Nairobi Village. Be sure to listen for them singing from anywhere in the Park!
More
Animal
Bytes: Bonobo, Chimpanzee, Gorilla, Monkey, Orangutan, Siamang, Tropical
Rain Forest
Meet the Critters: Great Gorillas, Operation Orangutan, A Smiling Mandrill
Wild Animal Park: Hidden
Jungle, Nairobi Village
