--MEDIA PHOTO OPP--
Baby siamangs celebrate 1st birthday with
presents, goodies
WHAT
| The Louisville Zoo’s youngest baby siamang, Zain, will
turn 1-year-old on Tuesday, May 27. (His photo is attached). He
is the last to hit this milestone. Now all three baby siamangs
are 1-year-old. They will celebrate with special goodies and
presents.
WHEN | Tuesday, May 27 at 10:30
a.m.
WHY | The Louisville Zoo is
believed to be the first Zoo to ever hand raise three siamangs
this young. They are hope for the future of the species. Due to
habitat deforestation, siamangs are declining in number at a
rate of 3,400 siamangs a year in the remnant wild. They only
survive in isolated forest areas. The public has fallen in love
with these babies—they are a very a popular sight to see!
WHO | Louisville Zoo Animal
Training Supervisor Jane Anne Franklin will be available for
comments and to answer any questions.
WHERE | Louisville Zoo – Call
prior to coverage and sign in at the receptionist’s desk in the
administration building. You will be escorted to the exhibit
area.
NOTE | Media will be shooting
through a glass enclosed exhibit.
BACKGROUND |
-
Sungai
(pronounced SOON-gai), a female siamang from the San
Francisco Zoo, arrived at the Louisville Zoo Aug. 28. She
was born on Aug. 23, 2006.
-
Zain, who
arrived in Louisville July 12 from Albuquerque Biological
Park, is the biological younger brother of Sungai. Their
parents abandoned him and Sungai at birth. He was born on
May 27, 2007.
-
Zoli was
born at the Louisville Zoo Feb. 20, 2007, but was orphaned
April 4 when both his parents died suddenly of acute
systemic shock from Escherichia coli (E. coli) septicemia.
(NOT the type that causes gastrointestinal disease outbreaks
reported in people such as E. coli 0157:H7 and related shiga
toxin producing E. coli).
Siamangs, a lesser ape native to the
forests of Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra, are the top trapeze
artists of the animal world. They leap with confidence across
formidable gaps between branches, launching themselves 30-50
feet, using their hands as hooks. They are the largest of the
lesser apes and can vocalize so loudly that it can be heard for
up to three miles. To produce this loud call, siamangs have a
hairless, reddish-brown or gray throat pouch which acts as a
resonator to enhance the carrying of their call.
***
The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit
organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to
bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing
excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and
leadership in scientific research and conservation education.
The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM)
and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). For more
information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.
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