Animals

Meet Cherokee

Cherokee is a white handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) who was born at Noah’s Ark in 2000. Before being retired from research to Noah’s Ark, Cherokee’s parents took part in a birth control study at a large research facility.  We were told that both parents were sterile, so imagine our surprise when one morning, keepers saw baby Cherokee clinging to her mother!  After an initial health check and resulting vaccinations, Cherokee was allowed to be raised by her mother, a right that many captive primates are denied.  Because of proper primate socialization, Cherokee is considered the most “normal” primate at Noah’s Ark, as she does not display any of the neurotic behaviors that most primates do when taken from their mothers as infants, such as digit sucking, fence biting, over grooming, and tail grasping.  Her parents have since passed away and she lives in a specialized habitat to suit her arboreal lifestyle.  Her favorite foods are carrots and celery, and she loves napping in her hammock and swinging vivaciously on her ropes that travel throughout her habitat.