Male White-Cheeked Gibbon Born at Brookfield Zoo [VIDEO]

Authorities at Brookfield Zoo celebrate the birth of a male northern white-cheeked gibbon born on June 9.

The newborn white cheeked gibbon is kept at the zoo's Tropic World along with his mother Indah , 25, dad Benny ,29, and his two brothers Thani,5, and Cuong, 2. The infant is the third male born to mother Indah in the last five years. White-cheeked gibbons are born with a blond coat that matches their mother's coat and is a form of camouflage.

The infant has been maintaining a close grip on his mom and will be carried by his mother for another few months. As he grows, the unnamed gibbon will get independent and start exploring the habitat on his own and start playing with his older brothers.

"Indah and Benny have been together at Brookfield Zoo since August 1995. Indah was born at Minnesota Zoological Garden, and Benny was born in Leipzig, Germany. They are managed as a breeding pair based on a recommendation by the Gibbon Species Survival Plan (SSP) of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). An SSP is a cooperative conservation program for the long-term management of an endangered species' breeding, health, and welfare in North American zoos," according to the news release.

By the time the gibbon is six months, his light colored coat will turn dusky. On his first birthday, the young gibbon will carry a black coat with light check patches similar to his dad and brothers.

Northern white-cheeked gibbons are listed as critically endangered and mainly found in the Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic. They are known to be extinct in their native China as there is no record of the species since 1990. The IUCN states that in the last 45 years, their population dropped by 80 percent. Currently, 88 white cheeked gibbons are known to live in 27 accredited North American zoos.