Blackpool Zoo celebrates the birth of endangered species
Keepers at Blackpool Zoo are celebrating the birth of a baby Gibbon - Europe's second largest group of endangered species.
Across UK Zoos, there are just 14 Pileated Gibbons and only two breeding pairs.
Blackpool's Gibbon parents, Ivy and Chamoa, welcomed their new arrival at the end of August, making them a family of five.
It is not yet known whether the baby Gibbon is a female or male, so brothers Dobbie and Iwani will have to wait and see, but keepers are hoping for a little girl.
The latest Gibbon addition takes Blackpool's total up to six, with another male, Seronimo also residing at the zoo.
Charlotte Pennie, Senior Primate Keeper at Blackpool Zoo, said:
“Ivy is 31 and has been with us for 26 years. We almost lost her ten years ago when she became very ill, so for her to recover and go onto have three healthy babies is just wonderful.”
Pileated Gibbons hail from eastern Thailand, western Cambodia and southwest Laos. They form monogamous breeding pairs and have a diet of fruits, leaves and small animals.
You can find out more visiting the Pileated Gibbons at Blackpool Zoo here.