Gibbon
Conservation Center
About GCC
The Gibbon Conservation Center was founded in 1976 in southern
California, US
A, 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 17 living species:
Nomascus
leucogenys (northern white-cheeked gibbon)
Hylobates
pileatus (pileated gibbon)
Symphalangus
syndactylus (siamang)
Hylobates moloch
(Javan gibbon)
What we do
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 gibbon (Nomascus
hainanus), found only on Hainan Isl
and 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 gibbon (Nomascus nasutus), of NE
Vietnam, east of the Red River and southern China. There are
approximately 110 of this gibbon species left, making these two
gibbon species 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 info@gibboncenter.org or by phoning 661-296-2737 (9 AM-8 PM Pacific Time).
GCC is an institutional
member of SEAZA (South East Asian Zoo
Association).
GCC's shady picnic area during a talk by Dr. Ulrich Reichard, of the Department of Primatology at Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
Board, Staff, and Advisors
|
GCC Board of Directors Lauren Arenson, PhD, Acting President Bob Arnold, Acting Treasurer Chris Roderick, Secretary Geri-Ann Galanti, PhD, member of the board Donald Sutherland, PhD, member of the board Bill Benbassat, DPH, member of the board E. A. Hankins III., M.D., member of the board Mike Ayars, member of the board Howard Martin, DVM, member of the board Patricia Dahle, member of the board Staff and Volunteers Gabriella Skollar, research assistant, senior primate caregiver Alma Alexandra Rodriguez, primate caregiver Neta Ambar, primate caregiver Jesse Baires, Vice President of Landscape & Maintenance Chris Roderick, Interim Office Manager, Volunteer Coordinator Carmen Fisher, cook & primate caregiver Lisa Bowman, primate caregiver Cindy Skocypec, primate caregiver Bjorn Merker, Ph.D., Director of Research Elaine Baker, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Research Lori Sheeran, Ph.D., Curator of Education & Conservation Howard Martin, DVM., Veterinarian Patricia Dahle, Assistant to the Director |
Medical Advisors Marvin Reingold, M.D., FACS Peter vanTuinen Ph.D. Diana Alexander, DVM. Advisory Board Ardith Eudey Ph.D. David Chivers, Ph.D. Rich Tenaza, Ph.D. Joe Marshall, Ph.D. Gene Albrecht, Ph.D. David Churchman, Ph.D. Kenneth Gold, Ph.D. Roland Wirth Ron Nadler, Ph.D. Vellayan Subramaniam, DVM Barbara Adolph Jatna Supriatna, Ph.D. Marlon Schulman, Esq. Chris Roderick Ann Shea Helena Fitch-Snyder Juanita Kempe Craig Stanford, Ph.D. Dan Miller Alan Mootnick, Founder |