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The Gibbon Conservation Center in Saugus is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. The center was founded by Alan Richard Mootnick after he acquired his first pet gibbon named Spanky in 1976 and later purchased the 10-acre Gibbon Conservation Center site in Saugus. Gibbons are small, slender, tailless apes native to the tropical and subtropical forests of South and Southeast Asia. They are known for their unique, and loud, vocalizations. Mootnick became a leading authority on gibbons despite having no formal training in the biological sciences. In 1980 he used money from his home repair and painting business to buy the 10-acre site where the center now operates. The GCC is a registered 501c3 non-profit tax-exempt organization, supported by donations, a small staff and many volunteers. The GCC is open to the public for tours on weekends and by special arrangement. Students and anthropology/biology researchers from across the world regularly conduct projects and observations at the Gibbon Conservation Center. Mootnick died in Nov. 4, 2011, at the age of 60 from complications following heart surgery in a Los Angeles hospital. His death garnered national attention, including an obituary published in the New York Times. The current director of the Gibbon Conservation Center is Gabriella Skollar, who worked with the founder, Mootnick, for several years until his death. The center is dedicated to the conservation, study and care of endangered small apes native to Asia. It is the only institution in the world to house and breed all four genera of gibbons. The gibbon center recently announced the relocation of two of its pileated females, Iszie and Boo, who have left the center to be paired with future mates. Iszie was transferred the Thiory Safari Zoo in France, while Boo has a home at the Cincinnati Zoo. These moves not only mark a fresh beginning for these gibbons but also play a crucial role in ongoing efforts in gibbon conservation. The Gibbon Conservation Center has invited schools and youth groups to visit the center with assistance from grant funding. These outreach efforts are an opportunity for students to see gibbons but also foster a deeper understanding of the gibbons and their natural habitats. Donations to celebrate the center’s 50th anniversary are sought to continue the feeding and care of the gibbons. Visit the Gibbon Conservation Center online Gift Store at www.gcceducationcorner.org/shop. For more information visit www.gibboncenter.org. |