‘Cheeky new baby’ born at Texas zoo is bonding with mom in adorable photos. See them

In adorable photos shared by a Texas zoo, a first-time mom is seen bonding with her “cheeky new baby.”

The northern white-cheeked gibbon was born to parents Ting and Max on May 30 at the Houston Zoo, according to a June 13 news release. This was the first time a gibbon has been born at the Houston Zoo.

Gibbons are critically endangered in the wild, making the baby boy’s birth extra exciting.

“While mother and baby bonding is going well at the moment, the first few weeks are crucial, and the animal care team is keeping a close watch on the pair,” zoo officials said. “The keepers who have dedicated their lives to caring for the gibbons will have the honor of naming the newborn.”

The mom can be seen nursing her son in photos shared on the zoo’s Facebook page.

“A dose of cuteness,” the zoo said on June 18.

All white-cheeked gibbons are born with a cream-colored fur, the zoo said, but their fur changes to black when they are a couple years old.

“At that point, they develop their iconic white cheek patches,” the zoo said. “Males will stay black while females revert back to the cream color.”

The primate species is known for “their exceptionally long arms,” according to the release. Their arms are even longer than their legs, allowing them to easily swing through the trees.

Gibbons are native to the tropical rainforests of southeast Asia, Vietnam and southern China. Over the last 45 years, the gibbon population has declined by more than 80% due to poaching and habitat loss, the zoo said.

This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 1:37 PM with the headline "‘Cheeky new baby’ born at Texas zoo is bonding with mom in adorable photos. See them."