Yup, the zoo is still breeding them. This youngster was born this year, and the zoo has at least 5 Buff-cheeked Gibbons on exhibit. As for phasing them out, I'm not sure.
If Denver is phasing them out, what species will be exhibited in the Gibbon exhibit in the new TEP?
Denver has two gibbon species. One in TEP and one in Primate Panorama. TEP has two White cheeked gibbons and Primate Panorama has, i believe, three buff cheeks but have stopped breeding them because zoos were trying to phase them out.
Oh ok, that makes sense. Interesting that they are trying to phase them out. I wonder if it's just the Denver Zoo trying to focus only on the white-cheeked gibbons, or if it's a North American Zoos wide decision.
I was told it was an AZA decision. Europe seems to have quite a few Golden-cheeked gibbons and since golden cheeks aren't endangered, but still vulnerable, AZA was more concerned about white cheeked gibbons.
Denver actually had a pretty good breeding pair. They bred two young for the zoo but that was a couple years ago. The parents weren't the greatest though. Both of the babies had to live in the nursery with the keepers as the mom neglected them as newborns, she eventually did take care of them. Her last one she raised on her own but the father was not allowed with her or the baby.
I was told it was an AZA decision. Europe seems to have quite a few Golden-cheeked gibbons and since golden cheeks aren't endangered, but still vulnerable, AZA was more concerned about white cheeked gibbons.
Denver actually had a pretty good breeding pair. They bred two young for the zoo but that was a couple years ago. The parents weren't the greatest though. Both of the babies had to live in the nursery with the keepers as the mom neglected them as newborns, she eventually did take care of them. Her last one she raised on her own but the father was not allowed with her or the baby.