Gibbons galore - South Bay Pets

Gibbons galore

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By Josh Grossberg on April 11, 2008 10:52 AM | | Comments (0) |
The difference between monkeys and reporters is that monkeys are easier to train and can probably type faster. Reporters, on the other hand, are hairier and make more noise.

We mention this because the man who normally chronicles the comings and goings of local journalists at his Web site, LA Observed, has turned his attention  to our more refined primate cousins.

And it turns out that while there aren't any wild monkeys in the South Bay, there are dozens of them just a little bit north of here.

Kevin Roderick visited the Gibbon Conservation Center in Santa Clarita's Bouquet Canyon.
 
It's home to 33 gibbons, the small tree-swinging apes native to Southeast Asia, and the only facility in the world with all four genuses of gibbon. The center studies gibbon behavior and breeds several family lines, hoping to prevent extinction of the fifteen gibbon species. The primates live mostly in enclosures with room to swing and climb. They graze on lettuce, bananas and peppers (and the like) nine times a day. To prevent outside disease from reaching the apes, I had to disinfect my shoes before entering the compound. High fences keep out the coyotes, lions and local teenagers.
 
But It seems the the owner has to find a new home for his pals. There's going to be a fundraiser from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday featuring a vegan breakfast and a tour of the site. The Gibbons Center is located at 19100 Esquerra Road in Santa Clarita.
 
Amazingly enough, I once had an editor named Gibbons, who now works for the District Attorney's Office.

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This page contains a single entry by Josh Grossberg published on April 11, 2008 10:52 AM.

Cat in Japan gets all the hits was the previous entry in this blog.

Midnight mischief is the next entry in this blog.

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About the Bloggers

Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.

E-mail Donna at donna.littlejohn@dailybreeze.com.

Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.

E-mail Josh at josh.grossberg@dailybreeze.com.

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