Northglenn High School
Introduction
Nomascus gabriellae are known under many names such as golden cheeked gibbon, yellow cheeked gibbon, golden cheeked crested gibbon, yellow cheeked crested gibbon, red cheeked gibbon, and buffed cheeked gibbon. These primates are native to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia and are considered an endangered species. Male and female gibbons are sexually dimorphic. At sexual maturity, the females coat turns blonde with a black cap, whereas the male retains a black coat with golden cheeks. They are very strong and fast primates with sharp teeth. They are a diurnal species and arboreal in their habits, using brachiation as locomotion. They are usually found in groups of 3-5 individuals, with individuals living for about 46 years. They feed at the canopy layer of the forest, foraging for fruit. Their diet mostly consists of only fruit but they have been seen consuming other plant life like shoots, leaves, flowers, and the occasional insect.
Leo is the Nomascus gabriellae that is a full grown 12 year-old male. He has lived his whole life at the Denver Zoo. Leo currently lives by himself, and he has four missing fingers on his right hand. He spends little to no time on the ground and is constantly swinging around his habitat. He is very vocalized and people can hear their “spectacular singing calls” throughout the zoo. He is very active and loves getting attention from guests.
Leo is the Nomascus gabriellae that is a full grown 12 year-old male. He has lived his whole life at the Denver Zoo. Leo currently lives by himself, and he has four missing fingers on his right hand. He spends little to no time on the ground and is constantly swinging around his habitat. He is very vocalized and people can hear their “spectacular singing calls” throughout the zoo. He is very active and loves getting attention from guests.
Background
Northglenn High School and the Denver Zoo have partnered up in order to create various enrichments for some of the animals that call the Denver Zoo their home. The purpose of these enrichments is to improve the lives of the animals and in a way synthetically creates their natural habitat and environment.
Capstone
The goal of this Capstone is to create an enrichment for Leo, a Golden Cheeked Gibbon. The enrichment' s goal is to decrease the time Leo spends doing stereotypic behaviors. Stereotypic behaviors are behaviors that are not part of the animals nature. The stereotypic behaviors that Leo does are thumbsucking and net biting.
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