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White-cheeked gibbon
"Northern white-cheeked gibbons spend almost all of their time high up in the treetops. When large areas of forest disappear, they not only lose their home, but also the “air roads” they use to travel."
Discover in real lifeHabitat
China and Vietnam, in the tops of tall jungle trees
Food
mainly leaves and fruits, but also stems, blossoms, ants, snails, small animals, eggs and young birds
Lifetime
30 years
Weight
5 to 6 pounds
Number of youngsters
1 young in 2 years
Wear time
7.5 months
IUCN Status
seriously threatened
EEP?
yes
Strong bones
Although gibbons are very good at swinging, they do sometimes fall. Fortunately, their bones are a lot thicker than ours. This means they don’t break anything so easily. But their best protection when they fall is their four ‘hands’. A gibbon’s feet also have a sort of thumb. If a gibbon falls, it can grasp a branch just as easily with its feet as with its hands.
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Theme area: On the Move
You can see the white-cheeked gibbon in the ‘On the Move’ theme area. Here, you’ll discover how animals move around and why moving, or, conversely, staying still, is important for survival.
Flexible
White-cheeked gibbons eat almost nothing but fruit. When searching for food, they swing from one tree to another using their long arms. They swing with ease to a branch as much as ten metres away. Gibbons not only have long arms, but also long fingers that form a sort of hook. Their shoulders are also very flexible. They can rotate their arms all the way round. This allows them to swing through the trees quickly, far and with great agility.