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Lincoln Park Zoo Welcomes Baby Gibbon To Family

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Good news coming from the Lincoln Park Zoo: There is an addition to the animal kingdom there.

A critically endangered white-cheeked gibbon gave birth to a healthy infant on Thursday.

"The parents are doing great, and the infant is a good size with a tight grip and has been seen nursing," said Maureen Leahy, the zoo's curator of primates.

No word on whether the little one is a boy or a girl. He or she has been clinging too closely to mom.

The proud parents, mother, Burma, and father, Caruso, have two other offspring.

White-cheeked gibbons are believed bond for life, and can have offspring every two or three years, according to a news release from the zoo.

This rare ape is native to parts of southeastern Asia. At birth, the infants are strong enough to cling tightly to their mother's belly while she swings from branch to branch.

The infant can be seen daily at Lincoln Park Zoo's Helen Brach Primate House.

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