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Curraghs Wildlife Park staff delighted by rare gibbon birth

CURRAGHS WILDLIFE PARK Baby silvery gibbon with motherCURRAGHS WILDLIFE PARK
The baby primate is the first of its kind to be born at the park since 2017

An extremely rare silvery gibbon has been born at a wildlife park on the Isle of Man for the first time in three years.

Sunday's new arrival at Curraghs Wildlife Park in Ballaugh was born as part of a European breeding programme.

Silvery gibbons are classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

There are only about 2,000 adult primates left in the wild and fewer than 50 in zoos across Europe.

The park's general manager Kathleen Graham said staff at the park were "delighted" by the birth.

CURRAGHS WILDLIFE PARK Baby silvery gibbon with motherCURRAGHS WILDLIFE PARK
The new arrival was born as part of a European breeding programme

Native to the Indonesian island of Java, the birth follows a previous arrival at the sanctuary in 2017.

There are now a total of four gibbons, two adults and two children.

"For us to have such a nice family of gibbons, it's great to see the family expand and to be able to be privileged enough to see the family dynamics change and them grow and develop," Mrs Graham said.

The newborn primate had not yet been named as it was still unclear whether it was male or female, she added.

CURRAGHS WILDLIFE PARK Family of silvery gibbons on a rope bridge at the parkCURRAGHS WILDLIFE PARK
Silvery gibbons are endangered, with only 2,000 left in the wild
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