Chanee and Mel, two white-handed gibbons, have welcomed a baby at the Santa Barbara Zoo.
The two primates are the proud parents of a newborn, which arrived about 4:45 p.m., Aug. 29, in front of zoo visitors. The sex of the baby is unknown.
“The birth was a wonderful moment for everyone at the Zoo, including the animal-care team, who had been eagerly anticipating the first baby from Chanee and Mel,” according to a statement from the Zoo.
Chanee and Mel have lived together at the zoo for more than a year. Chanee, born March 29, 2006, has dark-colored fur and arrived at the Santa Barbara Zoo in 2025 from Columbus Zoo in Ohio. Mel was born Sept. 27, 2000, has light-colored fur and came to the Zoo in 2025 from Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas, according to zoo officials.
“Gibbons don’t show many outward signs of pregnancy, but we suspected Chanee was expecting and had been supporting her with prenatal vitamins, so the timing of this birth was a wonderful surprise,” said Dr. Julie Barnes, vice president of Animal Care & Health at the Santa Barbara Zoo. “Mom and baby are both doing well, and our team will be watching closely for bonding as Chanee cares for the baby in the habitat.”
White-handed gibbons are classified as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, according to the zoo’s statement. “In the wild, their populations face threats including habitat loss and illegal wildlife trafficking.
The pair came to the Santa Barbara Zoo in 2025 with a breeding recommendation through the Gibbon Species Survival Plan, a cooperatively managed program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that coordinates breeding, animal transfers and population management among participating zoos, according to a news release from the Zoo.
“What makes this moment even more special is that guests who happened to be at the Zoo that day had an extremely rare opportunity to witness this natural occurrence and the remarkable behaviors associated with it,” said Charles Hopper, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Zoo.
Zoo officials said that the new ape will spend plenty of time close to Chanee. Newborn white-handed gibbons weigh approximately 300 grams, or about 10 ounces, and are carried by their mothers as they grow.
“Guests can see the new baby with Chanee and Mel in their habitat,” according to the statement.
