Here at A.P.E.S, we care for eight White-Handed Gibbons. On this page, you can learn a little bit about each primate under our care. Each one has his or her own personality.
Gibbons
Also Called: Common Lar or Malaysian Lar
Gibbons are small (also called lesser), arboreal apes distributed in the tropical and subtropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and the nearby islands. They are a part of the group called primates, but are not monkeys! Gibbons have very long arms and legs and can walk upright like humans. They live in nuclear families consisting of a mated monogamous pair and their dependent offspring. This family unit occupies a territory and they defend its boundaries by a vigorous vocal and visual display. Gibbons are able to swing from tree to tree at distances of up to 50 feet and at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, even in trees that are 200 feet above the ground! This mode of locomotion – swinging under branches while suspended by their hands – is called brachiating. Gibbons can be different colors, such as tan, black, or brown. They are endangered for a number of reasons including habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade, the use of their body parts in the production of traditional medicines, and poaching. |
“Stephanie is a special ape; she and I are so connected that when we look into each other’s eyes anyone around us can feel the love we have for each other. Years ago Stephanie was teased by a man. This man was not the one who owned her, but she loved him very much. The man that teased her admitted his mistake, but the damage was done and Stephanie began to dislike men. It took a while for us to have the relationship we have now. I can remember asking her owner to please let me go in with her and Tim, her mate. I just knew in my heart that nothing bad would happen. When I finally got in their cage they came to me and hugged me. From that time on I knew I loved them.”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S. |
“When Deana was small, she broke her leg. Deana used to live with her older brother and younger sister, all one year apart. She loved them both very much and she watched them to make sure that they played well together, but rarely would she join in. She was their protector and the mother figure. Deana came to APES at age 5 when she and her brother began falling in love and started to mate with each other.”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S. |
“Sonny is a buff color white handed gibbon. His name was given because he was born during an eclipse of the sun. He has lived at APES since he was only five months old. My first glimpse of Sonny was when he was three months old. His two hands and his face were peeking over the side of a playpen. I knew right then that he would come to live at APES. Sonny was a little fuzz ball with long fingers and big eyes. Nikko and Dudley were very good to him when he first arrived. To Nik and Dud, Sonny was a new brother. They checked over his teeth, fingers, toes, and everything else. They just couldn’t understand why he didn’t have a tail!”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S |
“We have been around Trevor for most of his life. I remember seeing him when he was about six weeks old. One of my friends took Trevor in and cared for him, but she got sick and started getting sicker every day. Since we knew his previous caregiver, Trevor had been around Sonny and Abbie, but not Nikko and Dudley. He was about four years old when he came to live at APES. Just like before, Nikko and Dudley adopted him immediately into their family. Trevor was always the baby. We didn’t put him with Sonny for fear that they would fight. Deana, however, was very glad to see him. They made their little giggle noise, showed their teeth, and hugged.”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S. |
“Shelby’s parents are Timothy and Stephanie. She was their third baby. I can remember the first time I saw her; she was only a month old. Stephanie wanted me to be in the cage with her so she could share Shelby with me. Shelby has Tim’s eyes and Stephanie’s hair. She is a wonderful primate. I get so tickled when she would climb on me and groom me. Watching her with her parents is very satisfying. She gets along with all of the other primates.”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S. |
“Gabriel is the son of proud parents Sonny and Deana. We didn’t think Sonny would ever have little ones because he had not matured. Sonny and Deana were very young, we thought, to have a baby since we had been told that most gibbons don’t have babies until they are between 7 and 14 years of age. Sonny was 6 and Deana 7 when Gabriel was born. We felt very blessed. Deana shared Gabriel with us right away when he was born. He had just a little hair on his head and back and he was pink. We watched as his face, hands, and feet turned black over time. Gabriel is the first baby born at APES.”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S. |
“Malakai belongs to Sonny and Deana. He is Gabriel’s younger brother. They are all a buff color. he was born on my youngest daughter’s birthday. My husband came into the house and announced, “We have a new baby.” I was so excited and went running outside with the camera immediately. He was only about ten minutes old when I got to him. Deana let me in right away and I got to touch him and love on her. Malakai had much more hair on him than Gabriel did when he was first born. Abbie, Shelby, and Gabriel were also in the cage when he was born.”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S. |
“I gave him this name because it means “giver of light.” This little gibbon has lightened up so many people’s lives. His parents are Timothy and Stephanie. This was Stephanie’s fourth baby. In his first year of life, Yoda has undergone many tragedies. His leg was cut, he lost a hand, and had a finger taken off. Through all of these bad events, Yoda continued on like a trooper.”
-Pam White, Founder of A.P.E.S. For Capuchin Brothers Nikko and Dudley,
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