Endangered White-Cheeked Gibbon Born at Lincoln Park Zoo [VIDEO]

The Lincoln Park Zoo's Helen C. Brach Primate House welcomed a white-cheeked newborn gibbon on August 16. The arrival of this new member follows the birth of a Francois langur just over a month ago.

Born to father Caruso and mother Burma, the unnamed gibbon is the fourth offspring for the pair.  Burma is holding the baby close and showing every sign of being a great mom," said curator Maureen Leahy in a news release. "The youngster is bright, alert, and clinging well."

According to Leahy, the new baby has joined older brother Sai who will turn three in January. Both the father and the brother are keeping their distance from the newly born allowing the mom to bond well with the infant.

Visitors to the zoo may find it difficult to spot the newly born as the mother won't let go of the baby for a few weeks. For the time being Burma is holding on tight, the gender of the baby will be determined only after the mother allows the baby to be inspected by the zoo staff.

 Gibbons mate for life and stay in family groups until the offspring attains its sexual maturity and can fend for itself. Once matured the gibbons go their own separate ways. The mothers are known to be the primary caretakers of the offsprings.

Species of small apes, the white cheeked gibbon are native to Southeast Asia and due to habitat loss and increased poaching they have been listed as endangered. When a baby gibbon is born it has a golden tan fur that is similar to the mother's and this darkens to black in the first two years. This black spot tans again in females but in males it remains black with white cheeks.

The white-cheeked gibbons are encouraged to breed under the Gibbon Species Survival Program (SSP).