Lincoln Park Zoo Welcomes a Lar Gibbon this Ape-ril

Chicago (April 28, 2025) – There’s a new ape swinging into Lincoln Park Zoo–just in time to celebrate her sixth birthday today! Female lar gibbon JC has joined longtime white-cheeked gibbon male resident Murray at Helen Brach Primate House. The new gibbon, also called a white-handed gibbon, will be living with Murray, creating a new and exciting mixed-species companionship at the zoo. The two will be easy to tell apart, as Murray’s hair is black, and JC sports a creamy white coat.

JC comes to Lincoln Park Zoo on a recommendation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Gibbon Species Survival Plan®. JC and Murray are from different species, but these species are often placed together in AZA institutions for companionship. At six years old, JC is still considered an adolescent who is proving to be quite an energetic and youthful addition to the zoo.

“Gibbons are social species and Murray’s companion Burma passed away recently, so we’ve been working closely with the Gibbon SSP to find a new buddy for him,” said Danielle Fogarty, Zoological Manager of Primates at Lincoln Park Zoo. “JC has shown a lot of interest in Murray from the moment they were introduced and was quick to approach and gently touch him, so we’re hopeful that this is just the beginning of a long and successful friendship.”

Before coming to Chicago, JC was living at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium where she was born to mom Chanee and dad Leo. Her former keepers at the Ohio zoo describe JC as “chill,” “curious” and “confident,” three attributes that are making her transition to Lincoln Park Zoo a smooth and successful one. Within a day of arriving, JC made herself at home in her new habitat, lounging in a hammock and completing a training session with her new keepers in between foraging for food. She’s shown a particular penchant for hard-shelled nuts and grapes as treats.

Lar gibbons are native to southeast Asia and spend much of their lives high in the canopy of forested regions. With a body up to two feet in length and arms that are longer than their legs, this species can swiftly move from tree to tree through a mode of transportation called brachiation. Instead of grasping at branches with their fingers, their hands form a loose hook around branches, enabling them to swing through the trees using a hand-over-hand motion, easily spanning a gap of 25 feet. Visitors at Lincoln Park Zoo will notice specially designed “brachiation bars” at the top of the outdoor gibbon habitat. These bars encourage Murray and JC to practice species-specific behavior by swinging across the length of the habitat from bar to bar.

Lar gibbons get their alternative name thanks to their white feet and hands that stand out from the coloring of the rest of their body. While JC’s white hands are more subtly in contrast with her creamy hair, the species’ distinct white coloring pops on individuals with brown or black hair. Unlike some species of gibbons, their hair color is unrelated to their gender or life stage. Rather, the variation comes down to genetics, similar to how humans have different color hair based on the genes passed down from their parents.

Lar gibbons are listed as an endangered species with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild. This is the result of being hunted for bushmeat and for the pet trade. They are also affected by the expansion of palm oil plantations.

In an effort to curb the primate pet trade and improve the welfare for all primates, Lincoln Park Zoo has joined forces with dozens of other organizations to advocate for the Captive Primate Safety Act. If passed, this bill would prohibit private possession of nonhuman primates. You can learn more about CPSA here.

About Lincoln Park Zoo

Lincoln Park Zoo inspires communities to create environments where wildlife will thrive in our urbanizing world. The zoo is a leader in local and global conservation, animal care and welfare, learning, and science. A historic Chicago landmark founded in 1868, the not-for-profit Lincoln Park Zoo is a privately-managed, member-supported organization and is free and open 365 days a year. Visit us at lpzoo.org.

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