First gibbon born in Angkor Park

SIEM REAP: The 21st century welcomed its first baby gibbon at Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park, in a celebrated step towards the conservation of an endangered species. 

A pair of endangered pileated gibbons, which were released into the forest near the Flight of the Gibbon Zipiline Eco-Adventure Canopy Tour located within the site, gave birth to their first baby in the wild in October 2014. 

Baray, the male, and Saranik, the female, were the first pair reintroduced into Angkor Park - a lush national treasure which houses ancient temples like Angkor Wat - by the Wildlife Alliance of Cambodia in December 2013. 

The gibbons are among less than 35,000 tree-dwelling, slender-armed apes left in the wild, and were first rehabilitated and raised at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC) near Phnom Penh. 

Since their release, they have been closely monitored as they roam the jungle free and unfettered. 

The re-introduction programme inside Angkor Park is the first of its kind in Cambodia. 

Given that the ape species was greatly reduced in number due to hunting and habitat fragmentation, the programme hopes to increase and protect this species in its natural habitat of South-East Asian jungle space. 

As to whether the newborn is a boy or a girl, animal lovers will have to wait for some time - it is nearly impossible to get close enough to a young gibbon in order to examine them.