The 6-week old is “bonding well with mom, is reaching out with its hands, and figuring out what its hands and fingers are,” the Virginia Zoo said.
The sex of the baby is still unknown, so the zoo is soliciting gender-neutral names through an auction. The naming auction opened on Monday and will continue until August 19. Funds raised through the auction will go toward the zoo’s conservation fund, according to the release.
“A siamang birth is an important addition to this critically endangered lesser ape,” Greg Bockheim, the zoo’s executive director, said in the release. “And watching a baby grow and engage with its family is special for all of us.”
The primates use unique sounds aided by their inflatable throat sac to communicate with their families. Baby siamangs typically stick around with their parents until they’re around 6 to 8 years old, when they’re ready to start a family of their own, according to the zoo.
