A South Coast zoo is hoping a little matchmaking will create a happy new couple. The Santa Barbara Zoo’s elderly female gibbon Jasmine lost her longtime male mate Gulliver in 2016, and a younger companion just last year. Jasmine is 42, which makes her a senior citizen in the gibbon world.
Gibbons are very social creatures, and live in lifelong monogamous pairs. So, here’s where the matchmaking comes in.
The Sequoia Park Zoo in Eureka had a 37 year old male gibbon which had also lost his mate. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, which manages species, did some research and played matchmaker with the gibbons.
Now, the gibbon from Eureka, named Bono, is living at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Keepers say the pair is getting along well.
