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June 14, 2006

Gus and Tucker: A Zoo Father’s Day Story

Being a single parent is a demanding job. But Gus, a small black siamang (ape) at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, has risen to the occasion and proved himself to be a devoted father as he raises his baby alone.

Gus’s one-year-old baby boy, named Tucker, was born last June to Gus and his mate, Penny. But Penny stopped nursing Tucker when the infant was just five weeks old. Zoo keepers had to remove Tucker from the couple and hand-feed him to save his life. In the wild, the male siamang plays a significant role in his baby’s care, but the female is the primary caregiver and nurses her infant for nearly a year. Penny was often indifferent, or even worse, aggressive toward her baby, but Gus was visibly upset by Tucker’s removal.

To minimize Gus’s agitation over being separated from Tucker, zoo keepers would let him see Tucker during the baby’s six daily feedings. “Gus never lost interest in his baby,” says Animal Curator Mark Weldon. “We were hopeful that we could reunite Gus and Tucker someday.”

That day finally came in February. From the minute they were introduced into the same exhibit, Gus and Tucker began playing, wrestling, and using their long arms to swing together from branches. At the end of their first day together, they curled up beside each other and slept.

Since that day, Gus has been a devoted dad, following Tucker closely as he explores his environment. When Tucker tumbles off the vines draping his exhibit, Gus scoops him up protectively. This spring, when Tucker still needed nourishing milk, Gus would bring him over to his keepers as they held the bottle. He’s even teaching Tucker to sing like a siamang—a loud, whooping call that family members use to cement their bond. And like any good father, Gus doesn’t hesitate to give Tucker a gentle reprimand now and then. “Gus is a great dad,” says Area Manager Tanisha Dunbar, who oversees the siamangs’ daily care.

The zoo staff is thrilled that Gus cares for Tucker on his own, because that bodes well for Tucker’s future, as well as the future of his species: Siamangs are critically endangered, and only two siamangs were born in United States zoos in 2004 and 2005. “Our goal is for Tucker to know that he is a siamang, and be able to socialize with his own species,” Weldon says. “We don’t want to raise him to think he is a human.” With Gus providing daily care and socialization, Tucker is learning how to be a siamang and getting daily lessons on how to be a great dad. Gus’s influence on his son could pay off someday when Tucker is paired with a female siamang and has a baby of his own.

Penny, Tucker’s mother, still lives at the zoo, but in a separate enclosure. Although they can’t see each other, Penny still sings with Gus each morning. Their loud calls can be heard throughout the zoo, indicating the strong bond that remains between the two. But to protect Tucker from Penny’s aggressiveness, he’ll remain with his father for now.

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is one of northeast Indiana’s major attractions, drawing 500,000 visitors every year. The zoo was named one of the country’s “Ten Best Zoos for Kids” by Child magazine in 2004.

The zoo is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until October 15. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for children age 2-14 and for seniors over age 60. Babies age 1 and under and Zoo Society Members are admitted free.

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