October 11:
Louisville Zoo's three hand-raised siamangs, Sungai, Zoli and
Zain, made their first public appearance today.
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August 28: Sungai, a
1-year-old female siamang from the San Francisco Zoo and also
Zain's sister, arrived at the Louisville Zoo. This makes
three baby siamangs age 1 and under. "As far as I know, we are
the only Zoo to ever hand raise three siamangs this young,"
Franklin said.
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July 12: Zain, an 8-week
year-old siamang from Albuquerque Bilogical Park in New Mexico
arrives as a "brother" for Zoli. Zain was abandoned by his
parents shortly after his birth.
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June 1: The Louisville Zoo
continues to investigate the deaths of Zoli's parents, but it
will likely be some time before we know what happened.
Zoli
continues to do well despite the loss of his parents.
He is being hand raised by members
of the Zoo staff and according to Training Supervisor Jane Anne
Franklin, he is developing very quickly. Zoli is fed six times a
day and sleeps in an incubator clinging to a teddy bear. During
feedings he clings to keepers through a black poncho that they wear
to simulate what his mother would feel and look like.
Weighing only 8 ounces at birth, the baby now tips the scales at
over 1.5 pounds. He is starting to eat small amounts of bananas
and sweet potatoes in addition to his formula. Zoli is not yet
able to be on exhibit.
May 8:
Zoo Training Supervisor Jane Anne
Franklin reports that baby Zoli is developing very quickly. He
is fed 6 times a day and sleeps in an incubator clinging to a
teddy bear. During feedings he clings to keepers through a
poncho that they strap on.
Zookeeper, Lee Smathers
feeds 6-week-old orphan Zoli
April 8: The Louisville Zoo is saddened by the
recent loss of our adult siamangs Ziggy, 15 and Sue Ann, 9.
The pair died April 4. No cause has been determined at
this time.
Baby Zoli seems to be doing well
and is being hand-raised by Zoo staff. We will provide
periodic updates on his progress.
Zoli clings to his mother
shortly after birth.
Background
A male siamang was born at the
Louisville Zoo Feb. 20. Named Zoli by the Zoo keepers, he
weighed about 8 ounces. This is the first offspring for Ziggy,
15, and Sue Ann, 9.
Because of rainforest destruction,
siamangs—a tree-dwelling ape native to Southeast Asia—are on the
endangered species list. There are only 120 in zoos nationwide,
and now three at the Louisville Zoo. The Zoo received a
recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’
Species Survival Plan (SSP) last year to breed Ziggy and Sue
Ann. SSP is a cooperative breeding and conservation program
among zoos, and the cornerstone of efforts to assist endangered
species.
After Sue Ann initially failed to
produce a baby, Louisville Zoo Veterinary Associate Dr. Zoli
Gyimesi worked hard to assess her reproductive potential.
Islands staff were able to collect daily urine samples for
several months to allow for reproductive hormone monitoring. In
addition, with the help of a local physician specializing in
gynecology, an ultrasound exam was performed to evaluate Sue
Ann’s reproductive tract.
Before the veterinary team
proceeded with any more exams, Sue Ann became pregnant.
Franklin and her team felt Gyimesi
was instrumental in helping Sue Ann become pregnant so they
named the baby after him.
For
the first three to four months of life, baby Zoli will cling to
his mother’s belly. After a year, his father will take care of
him. Zoli will nurse for up to 24 months and remain with the
family group for five to seven years.
