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White-handed gibbon between China and Japan

Discussion in 'Japan' started by Deer Forest, 24 Sep 2014.

  1. Deer Forest

    Deer Forest Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18 Sep 2014
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    153
    Location:
    China
    [​IMG]

    According to the book "Beijing Zoo Records", Beijing Zoo gave a pair of white-handed gibbons to Sabae Zoo as a present on october 26th, 1992. And it was said that the female was pregnant at that time. Could anyone tell me they and their descendants still live in Japan now? And can we find more details about them?

    Could we identify which subspecies are they? And someone said the original white-handed gibbons at Beijing Zoo were from Japan?

    Beijing Zoo keeps no more white-handed gibbons, other Chinese zoos either (However, white-handed gibbons are the most common gibbons in world zoos?)

    Thank you!
     
  2. FrancoiseLangur

    FrancoiseLangur Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    22 Jul 2014
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    Location:
    Kawasaki (moving to Sydney soon)
    I have been to Sabae Nishiyama Zoo several times. As far as I know, no babies were born to the White-handed gibbons Kang Kang and Huan Huan, who came from Beijing in 1991. The first gibbon birth at Nishiyama Zoo was in 2004 to parents Tetsu and Miyo, both from other zoos in Japan. If Huan Huan was pregnant at the time she came to Japan, that would mean she miscarried her baby or the baby was stillborn.

    There are six White-handed gibbons at Nishiyama Zoo now; the pair Tetsu and Miyo, their three kids, and Kang Kang. I was not able to find information on Huan Huan, I don’t think she is in Japan anymore (or maybe she is already dead). I have never seen Kang Kang in the enclosure, although at 31 or 32 years of age a healthy gibbon would normally be on exhibit.

    Around 25 zoos in Japan care for White-handed gibbons, I think most of them are Malaysian white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar lar), but there may be some of other subspecies or even hybrids. I have read somewhere before that the Sabae gibbons from Beijing were 'born in the southern part of China', which made me think about the possibility of the two being Yunnan white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar yunnanensis), but the gibbons in the picture above appear to be Malaysian.

    I do not know whether or not the original White-handed gibbons at Beijing Zoo were from Japan – if I ever catch info on this I will post here.
     
  3. Deer Forest

    Deer Forest Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18 Sep 2014
    Posts:
    153
    Location:
    China
    Thank you very much FrancoiseLangur! These are very valuable info!
    I hope Kang Kang is okay.