Endangered White-Cheeked Gibbon Baby Born At Lincoln Park Zoo, Spends Days Cuddling With Mom (PHOTOS)

White-Cheeked Gibbon Baby Cuddles With Mom At Lincoln Park Zoo

There's been a lot of cuddling going on at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo.

Monday, zoo officials announced the birth of a "bouncing baby white-cheeked gibbon," noting the newborn has spent plenty of time cuddling with mother, Burma.

(See photos below.)

“Burma is holding the baby close and showing every sign of being a great mom,” said Curator of Primates Maureen Leahy. “The youngster is bright, alert, and clinging well.”

"The baby boom is in full swing," the zoo said in a statement -- a nod to the species' "highly-specialized mode of locomotion called brachiation" (i.e. swinging).

“The baby may be hard to spot for the first few weeks, as he or she is being held tightly by mom. But it likely will not be long before the baby starts exploring the habitat with his or her big brother,” said Leahy.

The new baby white-cheeked gibbon, born Aug. 16, is the fourth offspring for Burma and her mate Caruso. The zoo reports Caruso and the baby's almost three-year-old brother Sai have been giving mom and baby distance so the pair can bond.

The baby, which has not been sexed or named by zoo staff yet, can be seen with the entire gibbon family 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily at the Helen C. Brach Primate House.

Rare White-Cheeked Gibbon Born At Lincoln Park Zoo
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(credit:Todd Rosenberg / Lincoln Park Zoo)
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(credit:Todd Rosenberg / Lincoln Park Zoo)

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