COLORADO SPRINGS — A Siamang at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is embracing her new role as a mother, according to her keepers.
Eve had her first baby on Labor Day, a surprise to workers who did not know she was pregnant.
They say Eve and the baby both seem to be doing well, and Wayan, Eve's partner, is curious and calm around the baby.
Siamangs, a type of Gibbon, are the only ape species that mates for life in the wild. They're known for close family bonds, and fathers of the species play a big role in raising their babies.
Siamangs are endangered in the wild, but there was not a breeding recommendation in place for Eve and Wayan under the Gibbon Species Survival Plan.
For that reason, Eve was on oral contraceptives. But just like in humans, they are not 100 percent effective.
Keepers have not yet determined the baby's sex, and the zoo has not yet announced plans for naming the baby.
