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Episode 116: Gibbon Conservation Center w/Director Gabi Skoller

 

The Gibbon Conservation Center

  • Was established in 1976 by Alan Richard Mootnick.
  • Houses the rarest group of apes in the Western Hemisphere.
  • Is the only institution in the world to house and breed all four genera of gibbon.
  • Has successfully reproduced 7 gibbon species.
  • Provides observation and non-invasive research opportunities for students and scientists.
  • Participates in all relevant Species Survival Plans (SSPs).
  • Provides consulting services to zoos, museums, government agencies such as the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and individual scientists on species identification and gibbon care.
  • Assists with gibbon rescue programs in Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam and Indonesia.
  • Offers educational opportunites for students of all ages.

Our Mission

To promote the conservation, study and care of gibbons through public education and habitat preservation.

About Gabriella Skollar

Gabriella Skollar has been working for the Gibbon Conservation Center (GCC) since 2005. She graduated in 2004 with a Master’s degree in Biology at the University of Szeged, in Hungary.  She first became involved with gibbons when her University adviser asked her to record Kaszat, a northern white-cheeked gibbon in the Szeged Zoo. After many hours of early morning recording and observation, it became her passion to study gibbon vocalization.

Gabriella moved to the U.S. in 2005 to work as a volunteer caregiver and researcher at the GCC, initially supported by the Rosztoczy Scholarship. In 2007, she became a full-time Primate Caregiver and Research Assistant. In November 2011, after the passing of Alan Mootnick, the Founder of the GCC, Gabriella became responsible for the day-to- day care and health of the gibbons, and the supervision of other caregivers, maintenance staff and volunteers.

In 2014, January Gabriella became the Director of the GCC. Gabriella is an active participant in the gibbon zoological, conservation, and scientific communities worldwide.  As the SSA Zoo Liaison at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Primate Specialist Group, she is responsible for representing the SSA within the Zoo community, and improving links between in-situ and ex-situ conservation.  She is also a husbandry advisor for the gibbon SSP in the USA, as well as a member of the gibbon hand-rearing and surrogate team. Gabriella gives educational lectures and tours at the GCC, focusing on gibbon conservation and behavior. She has presented at international conferences on gibbon husbandry, cognition, and social behavior. Currently, her studies focus on gibbon vocalization with the goal that her studies will support gibbon conservation efforts. Gabriella wants to dedicate her life to protect gibbons.

September 12, 2019
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