Female Mueller’s grey gibbonborn atIdaho Falls Zoo
There’s a new a female Mueller’s grey gibbon at the Idaho Falls Zoo.
Sahra (pronounced Saw-Ra) was born on January 23 and is the second baby for mother Shannon and father Sterling.
On April 30, 2017, Shannon gave birth to a male, Sid, who became popular from the “Saturdays with Sid” series on the zoo’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Sid had to be hand-raised by zoo staff for several months as Shannon was not able to nurse him. He was returned to his parents last fall, once he was able to eat solid foods and move around independently.
“Unlike Sid, Sahra is being raised by Shannon who has become a really good mom,” says Zookeeper Aaron Young. “She is extremely attentive to Sahra’s needs and is physically able to produce enough milk for her.”
At a little over three months old, Sahra spends all of her time clinging to mom. However, she is becoming more aware of her surroundings and has started to reach for things around her and grab onto food items. She is unable to eat solid food yet, but should be able to start expanding her diet in a few more months.
Gibbons are usually weaned at around one year-old and will stay with their parents for at least six years, however staying together for even longer is not uncommon. The Idaho Falls Zoo’s Mueller’s grey gibbon family will likely stay together much longer.
Sahra is only the 18th Muller’s grey gibbon in North America which makes her an important ambassador for the conservation of a species classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
What does Sid think of his new little sister?
According to Young, he is very aware of her. “Sid will watch her and even tries to reach out for her when mom allows it.”
The zoo will be open daily for the 2018 season starting at 9:00 a.m. on April 7.
The primate zookeepers are hoping to have the youngsters on public view daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., but the daily schedule is subject to change to accommodate the welfare needs of the animals.
