Posts Tagged ‘Gibbons’

Apr
29

“Ape”ril Special Event: Spotlight on Species

Posted by in Conservation,Events,Primates

How do you measure up to the Houston Zoo Apes?

Can you pick termites out of a termite mound like the chimpanzees?

 How many steps will it take you to measure one swing of a siamang?

Do you know what it is like to be an orangutan with an arm span that is 8 feet wide?

On April 30 and May 1st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., join the Houston Zoo’s primate staff, volunteers and docents to celebrate all things Ape! It’s Ape-ril at the Houston Zoo.  Learn about chimpanzees, orangutans and siamangs and their rainforest habitat. 

We will have a table in front of Chimpanzee exhibit on Saturday, April 30 and in front of the Orangutan glass viewing area on Sunday, May 1.  Visit our booth at the chimpanzee or orangutan exhibit to shop for orangutan painted magnets, ape photo note cards, chimpanzee and orangutan painted flower pots, siamang, chimpanzee and orangutan paintings, orangutan painted ceramic plates and cups and many other items… 

All proceeds from the SOS sales will support the Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Project that helps orangutan and elephant conservation projects in Indonesia, the Jane Goodall Institute that helps chimpanzee conservation projects in Africa and Flora and Fauna International that supports gibbon conservation projects in Asia.

During this weekend, the Houston Zoo’s primate staff will conduct a Meet the Keeper Talks at the Wortham World of Primates orangutan and siamang exhibits and a Meet the Keeper Talk at the Chimpanzee exhibit in The Africa Forest. Also, you can vote and help us choose our favorite ape, Aurora our 2-month old orangutan, Leela our 7-month old siamang, and Willie our 7-year old chimpanzee.

Aurora

Leela

 

Willie

 

The Apes

The apes are undoubtedly the animals that fascinate people the most and the reason is not hard to see.  Of all the world’s creatures, the apes are the closest to us in form and behavior.  They can stand upright; they have fingernails and fingerprints, large brains, and expressive faces.  Most of all, they have an obvious intelligence that both amuse us and puzzle us.

The larger apes or “great apes” are gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos.  The small or “lesser apes”  are the siamangs and gibbons.

We invite you all to come to the Houston Zoo this weekend and meet our wonderful apes.

Written by Primate Keeper Tammy Buhrmester

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Apr
11

Siamang Family Update

Posted by in Births and Arrivals - New Animals!,Primates,Wortham World of Primates

Siamang groups have very strong social bonds, which are reinforced by grooming and play.  Jambi pays special attention to grooming the faces of her family members, sometimes to their annoyance. Jambi is mom to Leela, and Boomer is her dad. You can tell who is whom because Jambi is a little larger than Boomer.

Leela has been growing ever more playful as she discovers new things on her own.

At six months old, Leela is still being carried by her mother, but can also be seen energetically following on her own.  She is really getting the hang of brachiating, although she practices close to the ground.  Siamangs can walk on two legs for short distances, and Leela has just graduated to the stage where she can run without holding on for a few moments.  Each day her progress improves, and she’ll soon be able to use her arms to balance herself.

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Apr
08

“Ape”titude!

Posted by in Adaptations,Primates

Apes (gorillas, chimps, orangutans, siamangs and gibbons) are very special animals that have unique adaptations that give them the aptitude to accomplish astounding tasks. An adaptation is a characteristic that evolves over time to help an animal be better suited to its habitat. These adaptations give animals the natural ability to do things that other species cannot. 
 

Willie makes a bamboo tool to fish for treats

 

 Every morning we wake up and get dressed. It is a simple task that we do every day with the only real tough decision being what we are going to wear. Not much thought goes into how we will put on those clothes. Now, imagine how much harder it would be to do those simple tasks without thumbs. Thumbs allow our chimps to hold onto sticks to get items out of the termite mounds. Having an opposable thumb is just one of several adaptations that apes and other primates have.
 
Apes also have a rotary shoulder joint which allows them to brachiate (swing) and hang from their arms. Some apes do this better than others. Gibbons can brachiate at speeds as high as 35 mph and can travel as far as 20 feet in one swing! So, maybe we should change the name “monkey bars” to “ape bars”.

 Come visit us this Ape-ril to see our fantastic animals display their ape-titude!
Written by Primate Keeper Tina Carpenter
 
 
 

 

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Oct
16

Meet The Staff: Lynn Killam

Posted by in Behind the Scenes,Meet the Staff,Primates

Lynn Killam

Hometown: New York, NY

Lynn just outside of Wortham World of Primates

Section: Primates Supervisor- I supervise the Orangutans, Lemurs, Tamarins, Mandrills and Guenons, Gibbons and Babirusa.

Quote: “The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment of them has no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of crudity and barbarity.  Universal compassion is the only guarantee of morality.” — Arthur Schopenhauer

Favorite animal: The orangutans, but I have a special affinity for Kelly.  She is so intelligent and very challenging. I have been working with her since she was 8, and she is now almost 30 years old.

 Animals you train: I train the orangutans for fun and for behind the scenes tours.

 Special Interests/ Hobbies: I love to travel.  I have been to Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Peru, Madagascar, Borneo, and Sri Lanka.

Interesting Facts: I love to volunteer.  I have volunteered at Hermann Hospital NICU (Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit) with premature babies, have done hospice patient care, and I am traveling to Utah this summer to volunteer at Best Friends Animal Society with their pot-bellied pigs.

How long have you been in the animal care field and what institutions did you work at prior to coming to the Houston Zoo?
I have been working at zoos about 35 years.  I worked at the Bronx Zoo for 4 years in the Children’s Zoo.  We had wild boar and domestic piglets and that is where I fell in love with pigs. After that I worked at the Philadelphia Zoo for 2 ½ years as a relief keeper, so I was able to work in every department.  I started out at the Houston Zoo nearly 29 years ago in the Small Mammal department (now Natural Encounters).  I transferred to the Primate Department in 1988, and became a supervisor in 1991.

What made you want to be a zookeeper?
When I was a child, my mother took me to the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn almost every day.  From the time that I could articulate it, I knew I wanted to be a zookeeper.  I was designing Sea Lion habitats when I was 3 years old.

What is your previous education/training?
I attended Hunter College, majoring in Physical Anthropology, for about four years.  I became impatient because I wanted to become a zookeeper, so I quit.  I wouldn’t suggest that to anyone now!
 
What sort of advice would you give to anyone wanting to enter the zoo field?
Volunteer first; get your hands-on animal experience.  This job is not for everyone, so find out if you like it first.  Also, get your degree!

Kelly, the orangutan

What is your favorite animal story?
That is an easy one!  When Kelly was having her first baby (Luna) in 1997 I was the only staff member with her at the time.  It happened right in front of my eyes and I will never forget it.  All of the sudden she stood up and gave birth and we were both simultaneously surprised!  I was shocked because I didn’t know exactly when it was going to happen, and she was amazed because she had never done this before.  Her instincts immediately took over and she cleaned the baby off, and the baby quickly started breathing and crying.  It is difficult to describe the feeling for me, as there were so many emotions at once, but I will never forget that moment.
Written by Tina Carpenter, Keeper, Children’s Zoo

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