Gibbon
Conservation Center
A nonprofit center for the study,
preservation, and propagation of highly endangered species
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The Gibbon Conservation Center was founded in 1976 in southern California, USA, by Alan Richard Mootnick. It is the only facility in the world devoted exclusively to gibbons, an increasingly rare ape. We work for the endangered gibbons' benefit through conservation, propagation and study, and by teaching people about them. GCC houses nearly 40 gibbons, among them 5 of the 15 living species:
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GCC specializes in
behavioral studies on gibbons, collected
by students, scientists and volunteers working at the Center. Several
mated pairs have produced offspring, making an important contribution to the
world's captive gibbon population, both in terms of numbers and in the genetic
diversity of the species. Offspring are housed at the Center in species-typical
family units until they reach adulthood. At that time, they are removed from
the family and housed with a mate, which imitates what normally happens in the
wild.
GCC also offers advice, free of charge, to zoos, government
agencies and gibbon rescue centers throughout the world. A portion of donations
received by GCC is given to projects devoted to the conservation of wild gibbon
populations, especially those in Java, India, Kalimantan, China and Vietnam. The Hainan
black-crested gibbon (Nomascus sp. cf. nasutus hainanus), found only on Hainan Island off the coast of China, is considered to be the
most endangered known primate. There are approximately 20 individuals left on the
island! Also nearly extinct is the Eastern black-crested gibbon (Nomascus sp.
cf. nasutus nasutus), of NE Vietnam, east of the Red River. There
are also approximately 20 of these gibbons left, making these two gibbons the rarest
primates on earth.
Please visit us for
educational tours
by appointment at GCC. We welcome students and other groups who are interested in learning about
these fascinating apes. Tour information is available at
gibboncenter@earthlink.net
or by phoning 661-296-2737 (9 AM-8 PM Pacific Time).
GCC is
an institutional member of SEAZA (South East Asian Zoo Association).
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General Information
Volunteer Information |
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