WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP/WPTV) — A 34-year-old endangered ape named Tina recently gave birth to a baby at Lion Country Safari in Palm Beach County.
The father is an 11-year-old primate named Onyx. The siamang gibbons are part of a breeding effort and conservation program sponsored by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
The Palm Beach Post reports zookeepers don't yet know the baby's gender, but plan to name it either Paul or Paula. The baby was born Sept. 19 and joins 2-year-old sister Obsidian on the private island in the Lake Shanalee habitat, which can be seen along the shoreline or from the Safari Queen boat tour.
Siamang gibbons are indigenous to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The average life expectancy for a siamang is 25 to 30 years.
The sanctuary said in an written statement there are an estimated 22,000 siamangs left in the wild.
Lion Country Safari is near West Palm Beach. Visitors can drive and walk through the park's 600-acres and see more than 1,000 animals.