Activities for Zoli (Lee Richardson Zoo)

Lee Richardson Zoo

The Animal Care staff in Wild Asia at Lee Richardson Zoo is providing Zoli, an 11-year-old male siamang, with extra enrichment and extra attention to occupy his time since his mate Suki passed away on October 1st. Suki was 20 years old. She and Zoli had been together for two years.

“It was evident by his behavior that he was upset after she passed. But the signs that Zoli misses Suki have reduced over time. He has a definite interest in the variety of puzzle feeders we’re offering. And he pays a lot more attention to the browse we put in than he used to.” said Lead Keeper Rebecca McElroy.

“He’s more inquisitive about what’s going on around him and often wants attention from the keepers. If he wants to be groomed and you stop before he’s ready, he definitely lets you know,” said Keeper I Kirsten Perkins.

The zoo is working with the Siamang Species Survival Plan to identify a new mate for Zoli. It may be a while, though, since there is a shortage of females to pair with single males at this time.

Native to Sumatra and Malaysia, siamangs are endangered. They
are highly adapted for life in the trees and are well known for their
call, which can be heard for miles. Destruction of the rainforests
where they live is the main cause of their predicament. You can help siamangs in the wild by purchasing products that use sustainably produced palm oil, which does not contribute to destruction of the rainforests.