Name that gibbon!
The Assiniboine Park Zoo’s newest white-handed gibbon is about to spend time outside to enjoy the warm weather, and the zoo is asking the public to help choose the baby’s name.
The young gibbon, born Feb. 4, was the first to be born at the zoo’s gibbon habitat, which opened in June 2017.
It’s also the first offspring for parents Maya and Samson, who were matched as part of a program with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Although zoo staff think the gibbon is female, they’re not 100 per cent certain, as they have yet to perform a complete physical examination.
“Maya is doing great as a first time mom, and our young gibbon is growing and healthy,” said the zoo’s animal care curator Allison Ginsburg.
“Gibbons are very attached to their mothers for the first few months of their lives, but it won’t be long before our little one starts exploring independently.”
Three potential names have been selected by the zoo, based on the white-handed gibbon’s home region of southeast Asia.
Salju (the Indonesian word for snow), Kadali (a southeast Asian name that means “banana tree”) and Perdana (a Malay/Indonesia word meaning “prime” or “first”) are the three options.
Votes – at an online naming poll – will be counted until 4 p.m. Monday, with results being released on social media two days later.
Zoo-goers have a chance to see the young gibbon in person before casting a vote on Friday, as part of a special inservice discount day.
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