Gibbons are monogamous, pair-bonded apes whose elaborate vocal duetting and territorial behavior require specialized social housing and acoustic management in captivity.
Gibbon welfare in captivity depends fundamentally on appropriate social pairing and housing that allows their unique locomotor and vocal behavior. Gibbons kept without a compatible partner show depression, repetitive behaviors, and self-mutilation. Their loud territorial calls create management challenges in zoo settings, but suppressing these natural behaviors is welfare-compromising. Best-practice facilities provide large, arboreal enclosures with appropriate heights, enrichment, and — critically — a compatible social partner. Zoo programs also contribute to conservation education about the deforestation crisis threatening wild gibbons.