The siamang Tisa has already become a mother to two infants: now her body needs to rest, experts say.
Specialists from the Kyiv Zoo performed a unique procedure on the 13-year-old exotic monkey – the female siamang Tisa.
This was reported by the press service of Kyiv Zoo.
“Our siamang Tisa and Patrick have produced offspring twice, giving birth to a male named Teddy (05.08.2018) and a female named Perry (04.10.2020). So now, following the advice of the curators from EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria – ed.), the veterinarians of Kyiv Zoo carried out a planned procedure to install a temporary contraceptive implant for our female Tisa,” the zoo representatives explained.
Prior to this, Tisa underwent all necessary tests and a mandatory scheduled examination.
In the wild, siamangs inhabit Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and Thailand. They are small ape-like monkeys with a body length of up to 90 cm and black, glossy fur. Siamangs live in monogamous families consisting of parents and several infants of varying ages. Like humans, female siamangs typically give birth to only one baby at a time. The gestation period lasts 7-8 months, after which the mother nurses her offspring for nearly two years.
At Kyiv Zoo, Tisa, Patrick, and their infants live in a separate “mansion” during the summer, equipped with trees, swings, a playground, and other facilities necessary for the active and lively siamangs to feel as if they are in their natural habitat. During the cold season, the family moves to a winter enclosure.