SAN DIEGO, Calif. (WSVN) — Surprise! Staff at the San Diego Zoo say they were shocked to see one of their endangered apes give birth, even though she’s been on birth control for years.
The zoo said Eloise the siamang, a species of gibbon, gave birth to her seventh child on Nov. 12. The 37-year-old mom had her last child back in 2006 with her partner, 35-year-old Unkie.
A siamang’s lifespan is about 30 years in the wild; in captivity, they can live to be over 40, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
🚨Baby alert 🚨 Eloise the siamang welcomed a wee surprise last week. 🍼🎉 Keep tabs on then on Ape Cam https://t.co/KNk2SVmyba pic.twitter.com/R0vWKAw27b
— San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (@sandiegozoo) November 19, 2018
With Eloise’s advanced age, the zoo had her on a chemical contraception for years in keeping with their participation in a species survival plan.
Zookeepers said Eloise hadn’t shown any signs of pregnancy before giving birth.
“We’re not certain why birth control didn’t work in this case, but as with humans, it is not uncommon for contraceptive failure to happen from time to time,” said Jill Andrews, the zoo’s animal care manager. “Still, we are overjoyed — because any birth of an endangered species is a reason to celebrate.”
Zoo officials have not yet determined the baby’s gender.
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