Auckland Zoo keepers have made the heart-wrenching decision to euthanise an "iconic" 11-year-old siamang gibbon, after serious on-going welfare issues.
Iwani, who featured on popular TV show The Zoo, was abandoned by his mother at just six weeks of age along with his twin sister. Although keepers took it upon themselves to hand-rear him, the abandonment "seriously impacted his long-term wellbeing".
"The sight of twins was too much for her," says Auckland Zoo's head of Life Sciences, Kevin Buley.
Iwani's sister died shortly after being rejected, leaving keepers to hand-rear him on his own.
"There was a lot of love and devotion given to him in his formative years," says Mr Buley.
But despite lots of attention, Iwani struggled to find his place at the zoo and failed to identify himself as a siamang.
He also struggled to bond with his partner, with whom he was supposed to mate for life.
"He never engaged with that behaviour with his female partner, Kera."
Keepers knew Iwani was unhappy and agitated, mostly with how he would go to the viewing window at the zoo and call – unnatural behaviour for a siamang.
His carers tried for years to help Iwani, exhausting all possible remedies.
"We would never have been able to satisfy his welfare needs," says Mr Buley.
Staff are obviously heartbroken by the primemate's passing – a decision they did not make lightly.
"They loved Iwani," says Mr Buley. "They put their own feelings on the backburner.
"He was an iconic animal for us."
In order to reduce the emotional harm done to Iwani's partner, Kera is set to get a new mate, Itan, from Christchurch's Willowbank Wildlife Reserve next month.
Itan arrived in quarantine at the zoo today and will be held there for a few more weeks, before he's introduced to Kera in February.
Siamangs can live up to 50 years when raised in captivity.
Source: 3 News
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