Lonely Gibbon Moving From Oakland Zoo

OAKLAND, CA — A 35-year-old gibbon named Nikko will be moved from the Oakland Zoo to the Santa Barbara Zoo to bond with other gibbons, Oakland Zoo officials announced on Tuesday.

Nikko has spent 32 years at the Oakland Zoo, but since his mate passed in January, zookeepers said they noticed he's been increasingly quiet.

After a search for a new potential mate at the zoo was unsuccessful, zookeepers decided to move Nikko to the Santa Barbara Zoo to live with two other gibbons: Jasmine, a 40-year-old female, and Jari, a 4-year-old adolescent female.

"Nikko has been beloved for his sweet, gentle nature," Andrea Dougall, Oakland Zoo's zoological manager, said in a statement. "The decision to move him was not made lightly."

While Nikko's zookeepers have concerns about his ability to adjust to the new habitat, they are hopeful it will turn out for the best. "We are optimistic that he will do well in the new setting, and believe that since he still has many years ahead of him," Dougall said. "It is worth the risk to make sure that those years are deeply enriching."

In case Nikko doesn't adjust to the move as expected, the Oakland Zoo's gibbon habitat, known as "Gibbon Island," will be kept temporarily vacant so he can return, zoo officials said.

Oakland zookeepers plan to accompany Nikko on the drive to the Santa Barbara Zoo on Nov. 27. The Oakland Zoo plans to publish updates on Nikko's move on its social media accounts accompanied by the hashtag, "#dearnikko".

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— Bay City News; Image via Oakland Zoo