Visitors to Perth Zoo can now witness one of nature’s rarest phenomenon’s as a critically endangered Northern White-cheeked Gibbon begins her transition from black to blonde!

 

Six-year-old gibbon Lulani was born at Perth Zoo as part of our role in the regionally coordinated breeding program working to save the species. Now, she has officially entered adulthood and is turning heads with her new hair-do!

The young primate’s fur is transforming from black to blonde, marking the beginning of Lulani’s next stage of life. 

Perth Zoo’s Senior Primate Keeper, Nene Hagger, said this is a unique time for visitors to witness one of nature’s most remarkable makeovers.

"Right now, it's a really exciting time to come and see Lulani because she's changing colour," Nene said.

"Northern White-cheeked Gibbons change colour several times throughout their lives, and she's currently going through that transition.

"At the moment she's a bit of an awkward teenager with a little bit of blonde and a little bit of black."

All Northern White-cheeked Gibbons are born with blonde fur, helping them blend in closely with their mothers during their first month’s earth side.

At around two years old, both males and females develop black coats, helping them camouflage with the tree canopies.

Male stay black forever but young females change back to beige when they reach sexual maturity from six to eight years old.

"As Lulani is a female, she's now transitioning back to blonde," Nene said.

"It's the only time in her life that she'll make this change, so it's a really rare and special thing to see.”

And her new look isn’t the only big change in Lulani’s life, she has also matured enough to naturally disperse from her mum.  
  
Around the same time female Northern White-cheeked Gibbons begin to change colour, they also prepare to leave their family group.

In the wild, parents tell the young gibbons when to swing into independence and establish their own territory and find a mate.

To mimic this at Perth Zoo, the primate team carefully monitor family dynamics to determine the right time for young gibbons to branch out on their own.

When mum Jermei’s behaviour began to give the go ahead, Lulani was paired up with another male gibbon Nakai, to form a non-breeding companionship.

After spending time behind-the-scenes building a friendly bond, Lulani and Nakai recently made their public debut in Perth Zoo's world-class Gibbon Crossing habitat.

While fellow gibbon pair, Jermei and Kayak, swapped life on the ropes for a new adventure in Perth Zoo's Asian Rainforest habitat.

Sadly, in the wild, Northern White-cheeked Gibbons are considered critically endangered. 

Sometimes referred to as 'the forgotten ape' these primates are facing increasing threats in the wild due to habitat destruction and the illegal wildlife pet trade. 

Perth Zoo is proud to support gibbons beyond our gates through a conservation partnership with Fauna and Flora Vietnam.

This partnership enables Fauna and Flora to carry out conservation work that supports local communities and protects the largest wild populations of White-cheeked Gibbons across their natural habitats.

With Lulani’s once-in-a-lifetime transformation underway, there's never been a more exciting time to visit Perth Zoo.

Visitors can catch a glimpse of Lulani at the free daily Keeper Talk at 10am and 1.45pm, every day of the year.

For those wanting even more gibbon action, Perth Zoo’s brand-new gibbon Animal Experience offers an unforgettable encounter with one of the Zoo’s playful gibbon pairs.