Zookeepers in Japan were baffled when a white-handed gibbon named Momo got pregnant in 2021 in an enclosure she had all to herself.
Located in Nagasaki, the Kujukushima Zoo & Botanical Garden announced last week that DNA testing showed the father of Momo’s child was Itoh, a male gibbon who was held in a separate enclosure.
Jun Yamano, the zoo’s superintendent told Vice magazine that it took two years to figure it out because they couldn’t get close enough to collect samples.
“Momo was very protective of her child,” Yamano said.
Yamano said the zoo discovered a tiny hole measuring less than a centimetre in diameter, in the partition board that separated the display area and Momo’s cage.
The zoo believes the gibbons must have mated while Itoh occupied the display area next to Momo, who was just on the other side of the hole.
The zoo also added that they plan to move Itoh in with Momo and the baby.
White-handed gibbons are small, endangered primates native to Southeast Asia. They are mostly monogamous, with breeding adult couples typically forming bonds that last for life, Business Insider reported.
The primates mate year round, with the mother typically serving as the primary caregiver, though she may receive some help from the father.
Until they reach sexual maturity or reach the age of about seven years Gibbons tend to stay with their parents.
Compiled by Mashudu Mabila
Pictured above: A white-handed gibbon
Image source: National Geographic Kids
