Remy the Siamang is making his debut! Remy, a six-year-old siamang born at the Los Angeles Zoo, will be a companion for Dudlee, our female Siamang.

Dudlee lost her long-term companion Cho Cho to old age. At 54 years old, when he passed, he was the oldest siamang on record in the United States.

Since then, Dudlee has been independent (but still making friends). Dudlee has been spending time with other species within the Asian forest sanctuary. Baby Bean, the lowland anoa, and Whitie, the Indian crested porcupine, share space with Dudlee both on exhibit and behind the scenes.

“With Remy’s arrival, Dudlee is showing him the ropes (literally and figuratively),” says Assistant Curator Erin. “Dudlee is making sure Remy respects the hierarchy that siamangs have within their pairs,” she says. It’s typical for females to be the more dominant ones among siamangs.

Remy is already getting comfortable exploring his new home. He’s young, rambunctious, and eager to test his limits.

Keepers are also working with Remy to become an active participant in his own healthcare. Through specialized training with Remy’s favorite treats (grapes and oranges), keepers prepare Remy for his future health exams.

Siamangs are the largest species of gibbon in the primate family. They live in the wild, in the treetops of tropical rainforests in Sumatra, and on the Malay Peninsula. Endangered in the wild, siamangs are losing their habitat to human logging and agriculture. Much of Southeast Asia’s rainforest destruction is to make room for palm oil plantations.

You can help siamangs in the wild by checking the products you use for sustainable palm oil and encouraging companies to switch.