Explained: How did an isolated Japanese gibbon get pregnant in a zoo cage?

A zoo in southern Japan has been perplexed by a mystery involving Momo, a gibbon kept alone in her cage, for two years: how did she get pregnant? The 12-year-old white-handed gibbon never had a companion to live with her, according to CNN. Although some of her neighbours are men, their cages are divided by strong bars and crinkly chicken wire fencing. So how did she conceive? Let us understand as zookeepers believe they might have finally cracked the mystery. Also read: Sculptures of gorillas and bears depicting endangered animals exhibited in Paris The mystery According to CNN, white-handed gibbon Momo, aged 12, resides at the Kujukushima Zoo and Botanical Garden in Nagasaki. In spite of not being with any male gibbons, she surprised zookeepers in February 2021 by giving birth. As per Dailymail, a post was shared on the zoo’s official Instagram handle after the baby gibbon was born. Its caption read, “Just so everyone wants to know “who’s the dad” hasn’t been found out yet because we haven’t done DNA testing, but we found out the gender is male.” According to the zoo, under Momo’s tender care, the unnamed baby ape is “developing healthily” and currently weighs about 2 kilos. Hideki Hisano, deputy director of the zoo told CNN, “It is a precious life born into the world, we will continue to take good care of him and hope that he will live a healthy long life.” Also read: How these endangered Australian animals could be mating themselves to death So, who’s the dad? The Kujukushima Zoo and Botanical Garden revealed the father’s identity on Tuesday after hiring a researcher to examine the DNA in faeces and hair samples taken from Momo, her offspring, and four prospective fathers last year. The father is Itoh, a 34-year-old agile gibbon. However, the zookeepers couldn’t understand how they could have mated across the two layers of barriers. According to the zoo, Momo and Itoh managed to mate via a tiny hole in a steel plate that separated their enclosures, the zoo informed CNN on Friday. The diameter of the hole was approximately nine millimetres (0.3 inches). Jun Yamano, the zoo superintendent told VICE World News that the zoo has switched out the perforated partition board for a barrier without openings in order to prevent unwanted pregnancy. He explained that such mating habits are “unheard of.” He said in order to get the gibbons acquainted with one another, the zoo typically pairs them after some trial and error. According to VICE, gibbons, in the wild, choose their mating partners based on physical characteristics, interpersonal interactions, and vocalisations like the intricate melodies they sing. Also read: Meet Pat, the Pacific pocket mouse Guinness Book named the world’s oldest A similar case in Australia An eagle ray in Australia’s Sea Life Sydney Aquarium gave birth in 2018, even though she had not been anywhere near a male ray for over nine years, according to the UK-based website IFL Science. The report explained that she had used a method called parthenogenesis, which literally means ‘virgin origin in ancient Greek. It is a process that involves an embryo developing without the need for sperm from a male to fertilise it. Notably, humans and mammals need a male and a female to reproduce. Others, like whiptail lizards, are asexual and capable of independent reproduction. On the other hand, some creatures like snakes, sharks, and sawfish, can do it both ways. Also read: An average cow produces 10.8 tonnes of milk a year. Now, comes China’s cloned super cows which can give 18 tonnes Gibbons listed as an endangered species According to CNN, gibbons are the tiniest apes with strong singing voices that have evolved into complex languages. They can swing from branch to branch at up to 35 miles per hour. Numerous gibbon species are indigenous to regions of Asia, including northeastern India, China, and the Borneo archipelago. Gibbons are listed as the most endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature. As per Gibbon SSP organisation, their habitats face significant deforestation, mining, and loss of biodiversity. The construction of roads through wilderness regions results in greater habitat fragmentation for gibbons and easier access for poachers. Hunting is a significant threat to gibbons in the wild, both for food and for the use of various body parts in traditional medicine. Additionally, Southeast Asia has a thriving illegal pet trade. Wildlife markets frequently include gibbons. Mother gibbons are frequently kidnapped from their young to make them into pets. This results in the death of both – the mother and the child. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.