Endangered siamang gibbon baby makes public debut at Australian zoo

The Canberra Zoo has bred an endangered siamang gibbon, with the baby, unnamed at this stage, making its public debut on Thursday.

The siamang gibbon is native to Southeast Asian nations Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and is considered endangered, but zookeepers at the Canberra Zoo have announced that Tunku, an 11-year-old female, successfully gave birth late last month.

Tunku and the baby's father, Sian, a six-year-old male, were brought to the zoo last year, and zookeeper Georgia Clark said they were "very lucky" that the pair had bred so soon.

"Currently there are only two pairs of siamang gibbons breeding (in captivity) in the Australian region," Clark told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Thursday. "So we're very lucky."

Clark said the baby "still has no name" as the zoo is unsure of the sex of the child, which is being protected by Tunku day and night.

"We're hoping in the next few months we should be able to get a clearer view and be able to tell if it's a little boy or a girl," Clark said.

Clark added that the baby's father was also beginning to take a greater interest in caring for the child.

"Sian was very interested in baby but gave Tunku and baby a little bit of space to begin with," she said.

"Sometimes (he's) a little bit roughly, but (he's) really quite good."

Siamang gibbons are recognizable due to their distinctive "pouch" of skin under their chin, which can be puffed up and used for "singing." Endit