(See scheduled tour dates below)
Directions to the Gibbon Center

Photo by C. Cunningham Alan Mootnick, founder and director Photo by K Gillman Alan speaks to college students during an educational tour.

The Gibbon Conservation Center (GCC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and the only organization in the world devoted exclusively to the study, preservation, and propagation of gibbons, and to education of the public about them.  We do this by establishing secure captive gene pools in case attempts to preserve species or subspecies in the wild fail.  We strongly support the conservation of gibbons in their natural habitat.  We have the largest group of gibbons in the Western Hemisphere, including six of the 15 extant species, and have reproduced six gibbon species (white-cheeked, Javan, lar, agile, pileated, and siamang). We offer educational tours at the Gibbon Conservation Center for groups who meet our $100 minimum (using the fees below), for all ages from pre-school to seniors.  There is a suggested donation (all of which goes directly to support the gibbons) commencing at: $12 per non-student, non-faculty adult, $10 per student 13 years and over, instructors/professors, and senior citizens, and $7 per child between the ages of 3 and 12 years Boy and Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Brownies and their leaders can subtract $1 from the appropriate fee. The college level educational tours last from 1 to 1.5 hours while elementary school tours last approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Both can be on any day of the week.  We have given educational tours to anthropology, psychology, pre-veterinary, biology students, and anthropology clubs, as well as secondary and elementary students, and other groups.  Lectures vary according to the interests of each tour group.  The focal point of the lecture may be any of the following: species identification, nutrition, behavior, captive management, deforestation and the plight of the gibbon, or preventive medical care.  In educational tours for children, we require there be a minimum of one adult for every 7 children under 12 years of age.  Since the gibbons are most active in the morning, we prefer the tours begin between 8:30 and 10:30 am.

Our main concern is the safety of the visitors and the gibbons.  With that in mind, we have some precautions that all visitors must follow in order to ensure everyone's health.  Visitors must be in good health and not have had any recent contact with any person or animal with an infectious disease.  Before entering the Center, the bottom of visitors shoes must be disinfected, and everyone must sign in the Visitor Registry.  We will provide disinfectant at the entry gate to the Center.  For the continuing health of the gibbons and visitors, visitors must remain in their group and stay a minimum of 6 feet from all enclosures.  There can be no individual touring of the facility.  Visitors may not touch the gibbons, nor offer them food or other items.

Group RENDEZVOUS POINT (must be arranged before tour day):  We prefer that all visitors arrive at approximately the same time.  A good place for your group to meet (if they are in separate cars) is the Albertson’s Supermarket parking lot at the corner of Bouquet Canyon Rd. and Haskell in Santa Clarita.  To get there drive to Santa Clarita on Hwy. 5 and take the Valencia Blvd. Exit east.  Drive 3 miles on Valencia and turn left on Bouquet Cyn. Rd.  Drive about 2 ½ miles to Haskell and the Albertson's on the left.  You can then caravan or car pool from the parking lot, turning left on Bouquet and arriving at Esguerra Road and the Gibbon Conservation Center in about 3 miles.  (See Directions)

Once again, everyone must be in good health, and should not have been exposed to airborne diseases (such as TB, flu) or measles, chicken pox, mumps, etc., prior to coming to our Center.  Colds and flu are contagious to the gibbons and are very serious or fatal for them!

We have plush gibbon and other primate dolls, postcards and t-shirts for sale with all proceeds going directly to the support of the gibbons. Please announce this to your group ahead of time. Thank you.

To book a tour of the Gibbon Conservation Center, please contact Patricia Dahle by email at gibboncenter@earthlink.net or phone (between 9 AM and 8 PM Pacific time) 661-296-2737 (if no answer, please call 661-296-9495).  Please confirm or cancel your tour at least two days in advance. Tours are led by Alan Mootnick at the Gibbon Conservation Center unless otherwise stated.

If you are an individual or small group, you may join any of the below scheduled tours with no reservations necessary for our regular fees, above.

THANK YOU AND WELCOME TO THE CENTER!  Directions

Light rain does NOT cancel tour.  Please check a weather site for updates.

Directions to the Gibbon Conservation Center


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