50 years ago, small centre for animals was set up in hills of Santa Clarita Valley, outside Los Angeles, today globally recognized institutions look after rare, endangered gibbons

In between morning feedings, the gibbons begin to sing — loudly. Ranging from the sound of emergency sirens and birds screeching to low grunts and guttural hoots, their vocalisations reverberate from a sanctuary in the hot, dry hills of the Santa Clarita Valley, north of Los Angeles. Over the past 50 years, the Gibbon Conservation Centre has transformed from housing a small assortment of animals to becoming a globally recognised institution dedicated solely to the care and well-being of gibbons. Known for their signature singing, they are among the rarest and most critically endangered primates on Earth.

Today the centre cares for some 40 gibbons across five species. Their singing can sometimes be heard a mile away by the few neighbours in the sparsely inhabited outskirts of Santa Clarita.

The centre was founded by the late Alan Mootnick, a self-taught primatologist who would go on to become a leading expert on gibbons, all while running a home painting and remodelling business. He published papers in scientific journals, hosted researchers from around the world, and fielded questions from other scientists about gibbon care and identification.


Hungary Connection

Director Gabi Skollar moved from Hungary to the US in 2005 to learn from Mootnick and work at the centre. She has carried on his mission since his sudden death from heart surgery complications in 2011. Skollar, who had initially planned to leave the job to continue her education, said there was no way she could abandon the gibbons.

Now, she lives on-site with another caretaker, waking up every morning to the cacophony of gibbons at sunrise. They're her children, she said. The center contributes to global research on gibbons

The gibbons are full of personality and individual quirks, and Skollar knows them well after decades at the centre. A young, northern white-cheeked gibbon named Pepper always leads the group in beginning their singing, and a pileated gibbon named Violet finishes the chorus with her partner Truman. Pierre, a rescued gibbon, does not like men. The small apes sing three to four times a day for 20-30 minutes at a time.

Threats for Gibbons

Gibbons face increasing threats from habitat destruction where they're normally found, in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia. Wildlife trade is also a threat, with gibbons being captured from their parents as babies and sold as pets.

Mootnick acquired his first gibbon, named Spanky, in 1976, when he responded to a newspaper ad of someone selling a pet. Some gibbons at the conservation centre were born there; others were traded with different institutions to ensure diversity in breeding programmes.

Some of the species at the centre have a population of less than 2,000 in the wild.

The centre was the first to successfully breed Javan gibbons, an endangered species only found on the Indonesian island of Java, and they are soon sending a pair of northern white-cheeked gibbons to the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College

While the centre is only open to visitors for guided tours on the weekends, they receive steady interest from schools, tourists and senior centers. They also work with local organisations such as The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College to help students receive hands-on experience in animal care. The college takes first-year students on a field trip to the Gibbon Conservation Centre every year, and many have gone on to work there after they graduate.

Anyone who visits “will leave with a lasting impression and begin to care about the species,” she said.

Skollar's long-term goal is to raise more money to build larger enclosures for the gibbons and construct an education centre for visitors. She hopes to continue honouring Mootnick's legacy and dedicating her life to the gibbons — one of which is named after him.

“When he passed away, I just felt that he's around and helping us keep this centre going,” she said.