Woodland Park Zoo Residents: the Siamangs

The more I visit the zoo the more I get to know the residents. Woodland Park has a knowledgeable staff of employees and volunteers who are happy to answer questions about the animals and the zoo itself and I take full advantage of their willingness to talk. In this post I'm sharing a bit that I've learned about the zoo's siamang pair.Siamangs (SEE-uh-mangs) are a type of gibbon from Sumatra and Malaysia. The zoo's current pair, Simon and Briony, are each about 34 years old: fairly old for siamangs, even in captivity. Simon has had some health problems but pulled through, gently nursed by Briony and the zoo staff. He's particularly fond of shiny, colorful things, and will head over to the window of his exhibit to investigate little treasures brought by a familiar human. He has at least one regular visitor who brings things for show and tell (in addition to the enrichment provided by zoo staff).If you visit the zoo at the right time of day (or even just happen to be within a couple miles) you'll be treated to the siamangs' calls. I think of it as singing, but it's really a wide assortment of hoots, barks and whinnies. The pair swing from the branches of one of the tall trees in their outdoor area and call in an amazing duet. The sounds aren't random, but are in a complex pattern particular to that siamang pair. They each have a pouch of skin under their chin called a gular sac which inflates to improve the resonance of their calls. The visual of them swinging and hooting with their puffed up gular sacs is very impressive!When they aren't outside hooting from the treetops Briony and Simon like to relax. They have both indoor and outdoor exhibit areas filled with branches and ropes and plants for resting spots. It appears that they have the option of resting out of view, too, if they need a break from the people. Like many of the apes, though, Briony and Simon appear content to observe the observers.