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Baby gibbon takes a bow

Mum and baby pose for the camera.
Mum and baby pose for the camera.

by Michael DeFroand

Port Lympne Wild Animal Park has welcomed two new - and very cute - arrivals.
The park, near Hythe, is home to a newly arrived baby moloch gibbon and a Mayalan tapir.
A spokesman for the park said: “This new arrival is an addition to the moloch gibbons at Port Lympne which, along with Howletts, is home to over half the world’s captive moloch gibbon population outside of their natural habitat of Java.
“Often referred to as silver or Javan gibbons, molochs are found only on the over-populated island of Java and are the most endangered of all gibbons, with estimates showing there may be less than 2,000 in the wild.”
The spokesman added: “The largest of the four species of tapir, the Malayan tapir has remained virtually unchanged for more than 20 million years.
“With only around 1200 Malayan tapirs left in the wild and currently around only 137 in captivity, successful breeding programmes like this are essential to the survival of the species.”

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