This thread aims to record the populations of the three managed species of gibbon within the Australasian region: Javan Gibbon (Hylobates moloch), Northern White-cheeked Gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) and Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus). Note: Lar Gibbon (Hylobates lar) is also present in the region but this species is being phased out with only 1.1 at Dubbo, 0.2 at Mogo, 3.0 at Gorge and 0.1 at Pouakai, NZ remaining. Any gibbon births, deaths or transfers will be recorded below and an update of the population list will occur when required. A few of the date of births may be incorrect by a day or two as zoos sometimes mark birthdays publicly after the actual date. Thanks also to @Zoofan15 for his assistance with some of the details for the siamangs in NZ zoos.
Corrections/further information are welcomed and very much appreciated.
Javan Gibbons (Hylobates moloch) in Australasian Zoos:
Perth has led the Javan Gibbons in the Australasian region for many decades. They first acquired this species in October 1975 with the arrival of a wild-caught pair from Java. This pair produced 1.0 Uban (1980-2001), a stillbirth (1982) and 1.0 Shelby (1983). Shelby is still alive at the Gibbon Conservation Centre, USA as of February 2021. In August 1992, the zoo received their second breeding pair with the arrival of male Jury (1986-2014) from Berlin and female Hecla (1983-2018) from Winnipeg. This pair produced ten (4.6) offspring from 1995 to 2014. Perth Zoo’s third (and current) pair is made up of one of their daughters, Sunda (2010) and wild-caught male Omar (1984) imported from Belfast in November 2018. This pair produced their first offspring in April 2020. Mogo first acquired this species in October 2008 with a pair comprising of Perth-born Arjuna (2000) and a Howletts female, Layar (2002). They have since successfully bred four times. Taronga Zoo also housed this species from 2004 to 2010. There are plans to creates more pairs of Javan Gibbons in the Australasian region which will be a welcome boost to the population. I imagine Mogo’s female Cinta (2009) will be involved with these new pairings. Perth Zoo currently manages the international and regional studbook for this particular species: "We have a couple of transactions coming up — there's two zoos in America that have offspring that are at dispersal age, that means they have to leave their family group. Then we have animals here in Australia that are really looking for a mate and so we're bringing them to the Australasian region."
Mogo Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
1.0 Arjuna (Jury x Hecla) 24-11-2000 at Perth Zoo
0.1 Layar (Ujung x Kulon) 14-04-2002 at Howletts Wild Animal Park
0.1 Cinta (Arjuna x Layar) 06-09-2009 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Patoot (Arjuna x Layar) 07-05-2012 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Jawa (Arjuna x Layar) 02-05-2015 at Mogo Wildlife Park
0.0.1 Unk (Arjuna x Layar) 19-05-2018 at Mogo Wildlife Park
Perth Zoo, WA, Australia
1.0 Omar (Wild x Wild) ~1984 in Java
0.1 Sunda (Jury x Hecla) 12-07-2010 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Owa (Jury x Hecla) 20-06-2014 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Asta (Omar x Sunda) 10-04-2020 at Perth Zoo
Total Javan Gibbon Population: 10 (6.3.1)
Northern White-cheeked Gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys) in Australasian Zoos:
The Australasian White-cheeked Gibbon population mainly stems from four wild born founders: Tieu (1974) and Vang (1971) at Melbourne, and Phillip (1973) and Racquel (1973) at Perth Zoo. Both pairings produced several offspring and Phillip was also later paired with another female and his most recent offspring is Nakai (2011). The Australian genes are represented in the North American population of White-cheeked Gibbons as well via Phillip’s daughter Kit (2005) at Kansas City Zoo who produced her first offspring last year. Also, the Tieu/Vang line is present in North America via their son Vok (1983) at the Gibbon Conservation Centre (who is actually paired with female Ricky [Phillip x Racquel from Perth]) and female Vinh (1990) who has lived at Columbus, Idaho Falls Zoo and now Denver Zoo. Other Australasian zoos acquired the species at a later date: Wellington since 1991, Adelaide since 2005, Taronga since 2010 and Tasmania since 2018. Mogo also housed a German-born male from 1999 to 2003.
As of February 2021, White-cheeked Gibbons are currently kept at six Australasian zoos with a growing population as the smaller zoos acquires this species. Altina Wildlife Park and Wildlife HQ have both expressed interest to hold this species with Wildlife HQ’s pair arriving shortly and Altina’s plans being in the long term. According to a livestream a few months ago, the regional studbook keeper plans that one of the next pairings will be to introduce Tien (2014) at Adelaide to Canh (2015) at Perth which is genetically identical to Tasmania’s pair.
Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia
1.0 Rhemus (Charly x Sophie) 26-06-1996 at Zoo Duisburg, Germany
0.1 Viet (Tieu x Vang) 06-06-1999 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Tien (Rhemus x Viet) 13-04-2014 at Adelaide Zoo
0.1 Tuson (Rhemus x Viet) 10-12-2016 at Adelaide Zoo
Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Australia
1.0 Jin-Huan (Batu x Hue) 24-07-2006 at Toledo Zoo, USA
0.1 Li-Lian (Kayak x Nelly) 02-06-2007 at Perth Zoo
Perth Zoo, WA, Australia
1.0 Phillip (Wild x Wild) ~1973
0.1 Viann (Tieu x Vang) 29-05-1993 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Jermei (Phillip x Viann) 05-07-2002 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Tao (Jack x Connie) 23-07-2002 at Mulhouse Zoo, France
1.0 Nakai (Phillip x Viann) 17-04-2011 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Canh (Tao x Jermei) 21-04-2015 at Perth Zoo
0.1 Lulani (Tao x Jermei) 15-05-2019 at Perth Zoo
Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia
1.0 Kayak (unk x unk) 10-02-1993 at Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine, France
0.1 Nelly (Vilson x Eeyore) 20-06-1996 at Wellington Zoo
Tasmania Zoo, TAS, Australia
1.0 Tiane (Tao x Jermei) 23-06-2012 at Perth Zoo
0.1 Nhu (Rhemus x Viet) 14-09-2011 at Adelaide Zoo
Wellington Zoo, New Zealand
1.0 Vilson (Tieu x Vang) 15-10-1987 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Robyn (Phillip x Racquel) 04-05-1992 at Perth Zoo
Total White-cheeked Gibbon Population: 19 (9.10)
Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) in Australasian Zoos:
The siamangs in the Australasian region make up the largest gibbon population at approximately 33 (20.13) individuals. Breeding is well-controlled as the population is seemingly reaching its limits due to a male bias in births and several individuals due for pairings. The two main genetic lines stem from Auckland’s Itam and Iuri and Mogo’s Armstrong and Fern with several offspring from these pairs and the subsequent generations. Adelaide Zoo has also made a meaningful contribution to the population with the importation of 1.1 in 1976 from Singapore and 3.3 in 1978 from Jakarta. I believe the adult male at Willowbank is one of these imported individuals.
Recent breeding has been limited to Melbourne, the National Zoo and Aquarium and Willowbank. As alluded to above, Willowbank’s male is particularly genetically valuable as a wild-born male, as was Orana’s original breeding male Oscar being a confiscated male that came via Singapore (who is now represented through his two granddaughters at Canberra). The current siamang population at Mogo is not 100% known as they rarely answer emails but I have managed to corroborate the numbers with @kiwimuzz 's review of Mogo which mentions they house a group of five (breeding pair and three offspring) and two individuals (two surplus males) separately which matches the information I have found on their seven Siamang. Orana currently has two Siamang (mother and daughter) but I cannot pinpoint what happened to male Oscar and his son Jasper (2009).
Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia
1.0 Niran 24-06-1989 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Jars (Niran x Mang) 26-10-2001 at Adelaide Zoo
Auckland Zoo, New Zealand
0.1 Kera (Armstrong x Fern) 00-00-2004 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Intan (Bujang x Sue) 22-11-2007 at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
Darling Downs Zoo, QLD, Australia
0.1 Suli (Armstong x Fern) 15-05-2000 at Edinburgh Zoo, UK
1.0 Irian (Itam x Iuri) 04-05-2001 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Zain (Irian x Suli) 06-01-2009 at Adelaide Zoo
Hamilton Zoo, New Zealand
1.0 Itam 11-09-1984 at Berlin Zoo, Germany
0.1 Kasih (Oscar x Peggy) 00-00-0000 at Orana Wildlife Park
Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Australia
1.0 Isidor 05-08-1983 in Germany
0.1 Sampit (Puteri x Saudara) 29-12-1997 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
0.1 Kemala (Isidor x Sampit) 23-06-2018 at Melbourne Zoo
Mogo Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
0.1 Fern (Kajang x Ebony) 26-05-1981 at Twycross Zoo, UK
1.0 Armstrong (unk x unk) 12-06-1982 at Brookfield Zoo, USA
1.0 Jambi (Armstong x Fern) 13-09-2002 at Edinburgh Zoo, UK
1.0 Figaro (Armstrong x Fern) 13-07-2009 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Batak (Armstrong x Fern) 22-09-2011 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Koto (Armstrong x Fern) 00-09-2014 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Loki (Armstrong x Fern) 00-00-2017 at Mogo Wildlife Park
National Zoo and Aquarium, ACT, Australia
0.1 Tunku (Armstrong x Fern) 22-01-2007 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Cian (Oscar x Peggy) 09-08-2010 at Orana Wildlife Park
0.1 Miliyah (Cian x Tunku) 01-03-2017 at National Zoo and Aquarium
0.1 Kasarna (Cian x Tunku) 30-04-2019 at National Zoo and Aquarium
Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand
0.1 Peggy (Itam x Iuri) 11-03-1989 at Auckland Zoo
0.1 Busuki (Oscar x Peggy) 00-00-0000 at Orana Wildlife Park
Taronga Western Plains Zoo, NSW, Australia
0.1 Puteri ~1986 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Saudara ~1988 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Lima (Puteri x Saudara) 15-06-2012 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Tasmania Zoo, TAS, Australia
1.0 Ollie (Isidor x Sampit) 30-08-2005 at Melbourne Zoo
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, New Zealand
1.0 Bujang (Wild x Wild) ~1976
0.1 Sue (Itam x Iuri) 01-01-1991 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Ketut (Bujang x Sue) 20-11-2016 at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
1.0 Kasem (Bujang x Sue) 17-03-2019 at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
Total Siamang Population: 33 (20.13)
Corrections/further information are welcomed and very much appreciated.
Javan Gibbons (Hylobates moloch) in Australasian Zoos:
Perth has led the Javan Gibbons in the Australasian region for many decades. They first acquired this species in October 1975 with the arrival of a wild-caught pair from Java. This pair produced 1.0 Uban (1980-2001), a stillbirth (1982) and 1.0 Shelby (1983). Shelby is still alive at the Gibbon Conservation Centre, USA as of February 2021. In August 1992, the zoo received their second breeding pair with the arrival of male Jury (1986-2014) from Berlin and female Hecla (1983-2018) from Winnipeg. This pair produced ten (4.6) offspring from 1995 to 2014. Perth Zoo’s third (and current) pair is made up of one of their daughters, Sunda (2010) and wild-caught male Omar (1984) imported from Belfast in November 2018. This pair produced their first offspring in April 2020. Mogo first acquired this species in October 2008 with a pair comprising of Perth-born Arjuna (2000) and a Howletts female, Layar (2002). They have since successfully bred four times. Taronga Zoo also housed this species from 2004 to 2010. There are plans to creates more pairs of Javan Gibbons in the Australasian region which will be a welcome boost to the population. I imagine Mogo’s female Cinta (2009) will be involved with these new pairings. Perth Zoo currently manages the international and regional studbook for this particular species: "We have a couple of transactions coming up — there's two zoos in America that have offspring that are at dispersal age, that means they have to leave their family group. Then we have animals here in Australia that are really looking for a mate and so we're bringing them to the Australasian region."
Mogo Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
1.0 Arjuna (Jury x Hecla) 24-11-2000 at Perth Zoo
0.1 Layar (Ujung x Kulon) 14-04-2002 at Howletts Wild Animal Park
0.1 Cinta (Arjuna x Layar) 06-09-2009 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Patoot (Arjuna x Layar) 07-05-2012 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Jawa (Arjuna x Layar) 02-05-2015 at Mogo Wildlife Park
0.0.1 Unk (Arjuna x Layar) 19-05-2018 at Mogo Wildlife Park
Perth Zoo, WA, Australia
1.0 Omar (Wild x Wild) ~1984 in Java
0.1 Sunda (Jury x Hecla) 12-07-2010 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Owa (Jury x Hecla) 20-06-2014 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Asta (Omar x Sunda) 10-04-2020 at Perth Zoo
Total Javan Gibbon Population: 10 (6.3.1)
Northern White-cheeked Gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys) in Australasian Zoos:
The Australasian White-cheeked Gibbon population mainly stems from four wild born founders: Tieu (1974) and Vang (1971) at Melbourne, and Phillip (1973) and Racquel (1973) at Perth Zoo. Both pairings produced several offspring and Phillip was also later paired with another female and his most recent offspring is Nakai (2011). The Australian genes are represented in the North American population of White-cheeked Gibbons as well via Phillip’s daughter Kit (2005) at Kansas City Zoo who produced her first offspring last year. Also, the Tieu/Vang line is present in North America via their son Vok (1983) at the Gibbon Conservation Centre (who is actually paired with female Ricky [Phillip x Racquel from Perth]) and female Vinh (1990) who has lived at Columbus, Idaho Falls Zoo and now Denver Zoo. Other Australasian zoos acquired the species at a later date: Wellington since 1991, Adelaide since 2005, Taronga since 2010 and Tasmania since 2018. Mogo also housed a German-born male from 1999 to 2003.
As of February 2021, White-cheeked Gibbons are currently kept at six Australasian zoos with a growing population as the smaller zoos acquires this species. Altina Wildlife Park and Wildlife HQ have both expressed interest to hold this species with Wildlife HQ’s pair arriving shortly and Altina’s plans being in the long term. According to a livestream a few months ago, the regional studbook keeper plans that one of the next pairings will be to introduce Tien (2014) at Adelaide to Canh (2015) at Perth which is genetically identical to Tasmania’s pair.
Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia
1.0 Rhemus (Charly x Sophie) 26-06-1996 at Zoo Duisburg, Germany
0.1 Viet (Tieu x Vang) 06-06-1999 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Tien (Rhemus x Viet) 13-04-2014 at Adelaide Zoo
0.1 Tuson (Rhemus x Viet) 10-12-2016 at Adelaide Zoo
Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Australia
1.0 Jin-Huan (Batu x Hue) 24-07-2006 at Toledo Zoo, USA
0.1 Li-Lian (Kayak x Nelly) 02-06-2007 at Perth Zoo
Perth Zoo, WA, Australia
1.0 Phillip (Wild x Wild) ~1973
0.1 Viann (Tieu x Vang) 29-05-1993 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Jermei (Phillip x Viann) 05-07-2002 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Tao (Jack x Connie) 23-07-2002 at Mulhouse Zoo, France
1.0 Nakai (Phillip x Viann) 17-04-2011 at Perth Zoo
1.0 Canh (Tao x Jermei) 21-04-2015 at Perth Zoo
0.1 Lulani (Tao x Jermei) 15-05-2019 at Perth Zoo
Taronga Zoo, NSW, Australia
1.0 Kayak (unk x unk) 10-02-1993 at Bioparc de Doué-la-Fontaine, France
0.1 Nelly (Vilson x Eeyore) 20-06-1996 at Wellington Zoo
Tasmania Zoo, TAS, Australia
1.0 Tiane (Tao x Jermei) 23-06-2012 at Perth Zoo
0.1 Nhu (Rhemus x Viet) 14-09-2011 at Adelaide Zoo
Wellington Zoo, New Zealand
1.0 Vilson (Tieu x Vang) 15-10-1987 at Melbourne Zoo
0.1 Robyn (Phillip x Racquel) 04-05-1992 at Perth Zoo
Total White-cheeked Gibbon Population: 19 (9.10)
Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) in Australasian Zoos:
The siamangs in the Australasian region make up the largest gibbon population at approximately 33 (20.13) individuals. Breeding is well-controlled as the population is seemingly reaching its limits due to a male bias in births and several individuals due for pairings. The two main genetic lines stem from Auckland’s Itam and Iuri and Mogo’s Armstrong and Fern with several offspring from these pairs and the subsequent generations. Adelaide Zoo has also made a meaningful contribution to the population with the importation of 1.1 in 1976 from Singapore and 3.3 in 1978 from Jakarta. I believe the adult male at Willowbank is one of these imported individuals.
Recent breeding has been limited to Melbourne, the National Zoo and Aquarium and Willowbank. As alluded to above, Willowbank’s male is particularly genetically valuable as a wild-born male, as was Orana’s original breeding male Oscar being a confiscated male that came via Singapore (who is now represented through his two granddaughters at Canberra). The current siamang population at Mogo is not 100% known as they rarely answer emails but I have managed to corroborate the numbers with @kiwimuzz 's review of Mogo which mentions they house a group of five (breeding pair and three offspring) and two individuals (two surplus males) separately which matches the information I have found on their seven Siamang. Orana currently has two Siamang (mother and daughter) but I cannot pinpoint what happened to male Oscar and his son Jasper (2009).
Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia
1.0 Niran 24-06-1989 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Jars (Niran x Mang) 26-10-2001 at Adelaide Zoo
Auckland Zoo, New Zealand
0.1 Kera (Armstrong x Fern) 00-00-2004 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Intan (Bujang x Sue) 22-11-2007 at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
Darling Downs Zoo, QLD, Australia
0.1 Suli (Armstong x Fern) 15-05-2000 at Edinburgh Zoo, UK
1.0 Irian (Itam x Iuri) 04-05-2001 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Zain (Irian x Suli) 06-01-2009 at Adelaide Zoo
Hamilton Zoo, New Zealand
1.0 Itam 11-09-1984 at Berlin Zoo, Germany
0.1 Kasih (Oscar x Peggy) 00-00-0000 at Orana Wildlife Park
Melbourne Zoo, VIC, Australia
1.0 Isidor 05-08-1983 in Germany
0.1 Sampit (Puteri x Saudara) 29-12-1997 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
0.1 Kemala (Isidor x Sampit) 23-06-2018 at Melbourne Zoo
Mogo Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia
0.1 Fern (Kajang x Ebony) 26-05-1981 at Twycross Zoo, UK
1.0 Armstrong (unk x unk) 12-06-1982 at Brookfield Zoo, USA
1.0 Jambi (Armstong x Fern) 13-09-2002 at Edinburgh Zoo, UK
1.0 Figaro (Armstrong x Fern) 13-07-2009 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Batak (Armstrong x Fern) 22-09-2011 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Koto (Armstrong x Fern) 00-09-2014 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Loki (Armstrong x Fern) 00-00-2017 at Mogo Wildlife Park
National Zoo and Aquarium, ACT, Australia
0.1 Tunku (Armstrong x Fern) 22-01-2007 at Mogo Wildlife Park
1.0 Cian (Oscar x Peggy) 09-08-2010 at Orana Wildlife Park
0.1 Miliyah (Cian x Tunku) 01-03-2017 at National Zoo and Aquarium
0.1 Kasarna (Cian x Tunku) 30-04-2019 at National Zoo and Aquarium
Orana Wildlife Park, New Zealand
0.1 Peggy (Itam x Iuri) 11-03-1989 at Auckland Zoo
0.1 Busuki (Oscar x Peggy) 00-00-0000 at Orana Wildlife Park
Taronga Western Plains Zoo, NSW, Australia
0.1 Puteri ~1986 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Saudara ~1988 at Adelaide Zoo
1.0 Lima (Puteri x Saudara) 15-06-2012 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Tasmania Zoo, TAS, Australia
1.0 Ollie (Isidor x Sampit) 30-08-2005 at Melbourne Zoo
Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, New Zealand
1.0 Bujang (Wild x Wild) ~1976
0.1 Sue (Itam x Iuri) 01-01-1991 at Auckland Zoo
1.0 Ketut (Bujang x Sue) 20-11-2016 at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
1.0 Kasem (Bujang x Sue) 17-03-2019 at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve
Total Siamang Population: 33 (20.13)
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