Sungai makes three 

1-year-old female siamang arrives at Louisville Zoo; to be raised with two young male siamangs

Sungai (pronounced SOON-gai), a 1-year-old female siamang from the San Francisco Zoo, recently arrived at the Louisville Zoo.

On Tuesday evening, Aug. 28, Zoo Training Supervisor Jane Anne Franklin stood inside Louisville’s FedEx annex building anxiously awaiting Sungai’s arrival.

“This is going to be one wild ride!” Franklin smiled. “This baby makes three siamangs age 1 and under.”

	Sugani on August 28th, 2007 Photo by Kara Bussabarger
	Louisville Zoo Training Supervisor Jane Anne Franklin begins to bond with 1-year-old siamang Sungai the night she arrived from San Francisco.  Photo by Kara Bussabarger

With the addition of Sungai, the Louisville Zoo is in a league of its own.

“As far as I know, we are the only Zoo to ever hand raise three siamangs this young,” Franklin said. “We will definitely have our hands full, but it will be worth it. Hopefully we will learn a lot from this experience that we can share with others in the siamang community.”

The Louisville Zoo is Sungai’s fourth home and Franklin hopes it is her last.

Sungai, which means river in Indonesian, was born at the Albuquerque Biological Park in Albuquerque, N.M. After her mother proved to have no maternal instincts, Sungai was sent to the Houston Zoo. But the siamang adults at the Houston Zoo showed no interest in her. She was then sent to the San Francisco Zoo, but that didn’t work out either.

“This little siamang has been through a lot,” Franklin said. “It makes my heart ache thinking about all the rejection she has been through. Being here is the best shot she has, and I have a feeling she will do great here.”

Sungai is the biological older sister of Zain, who arrived in Louisville July 12 from Albuquerque Biological Park. Their parents also abandoned him at birth. Zoli was orphaned at the Louisville Zoo April 4 when both his parents died suddenly. The cause of death is still being investigated.

Sungai, who Franklin anticipates will bring some maturity to the youngsters, weighs 6 ½ pounds and eats leafy greens, fruits and vegetables as well as being bottle fed two times a day.

While in routine 30-day quarantine, Sungai is adjusting to her new surroundings and being introduced to Zain and Zoli. Zoo staff has increased shifts to provide all three with quality care.

Once all three get acquainted, the public will be able to view them in the Islands mammal exhibit. (A date is yet to be determined).

“I know the public will fall in love with them like I have,” Franklin said. “Even though having all these babies here is a little intimidating, I know everyone is cheering us on. This is an experience of a lifetime and we will do everything we can to help them thrive as siamangs.”

Zain weighs 1,300 grams and is bottle fed five times a day. He is learning to feed himself and eat solid food. His favorites are Romaine lettuce and mulberry leaves. He is climbing more and likes to be around Zoli.

“Zain can sit there and watch Zoli all day long,” Franklin said. “You can tell Zain really looks up to Zoli.”

Zoli currently weighs 1,850 grams and takes a bottle 4 times a day as well as eating leafy greens, fruits and vegetables. He doesn’t seem to mind having Zain around.

Looking into the future, Franklin pictures Sungai and Zoli becoming a pair and eventually producing offspring. But for now, she just wants the three to bond and learn natural siamang behaviors from one another.

“My goal is to raise Sungai, Zain and Zoli to be the best siamangs they can be,” she said. “They are the future for the species.”

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Siamangs, a lesser ape native to the forests of Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra, are the top trapeze artists of the animal world. They leap with confidence across formidable gaps between branches, launching themselves 30-50 feet, using their hands as hooks. They are the largest of the lesser apes and can vocalize so loudly that it can be heard for up to three miles. To produce this loud call, siamangs have a hairless, reddish-brown or gray throat pouch which acts as a resonator to enhance the carrying of their call.

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

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