Bali Zoo leads efforts to conserve one of Indonesia's rarest primates

Bali Zoo’s dedicated wildlife conservation efforts have led to the silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch), endemic to Indonesia and classified as Endangered by the IUCN Red List, not only surviving but thriving.

This year marks the first birthday of Seruni, a healthy female silvery gibbon born at Bali Zoo in 2024. She is the offspring of Boris's sister. Boris, a male silvery gibbon born at the zoo in 2010, was successfully released into the wild at Situ Patengan, West Java, in 2019. After spending one year at a rehabilitation centre, Boris was deemed fit for release. The reintroduction was carried out in partnership with The Aspinall Foundation and Indonesian conservation authorities.

Emma Chandra, Public Relations at Bali Zoo shared "to have bred an endangered animal, released it into the wild, and now welcome the next generation of its extended family is an extraordinary achievement. It shows that our long-term commitment to conservation is working."

Bali Zoo's silvery gibbon family now spans three generations, beginning with parents Koko and Minul (both born in 2000), who raised Boris along with four other offspring including Paris, Syahrini, Cincin, and Dahlia. The arrival of Seruni, born to Boris's sister signals not only successful breeding but also a sustained effort to protect one of Indonesia's most endangered primates.

Over the past five years, Bali Zoo has recorded key breeding milestones, including:

• One silvery gibbon, Seruni (born in 2024)

• One male Sumatran orangutan (born in 2022)

• Two male Sumatran elephants (born in 2022 and 2023)

• Multiple births of Indonesia's endemic and exotic species from 2020 to 2025, including: Javan langur, Yellow-crested cockatoos, Papua wallabies, Timor deer and Spotted deer.

Since 2019, Bali Zoo supports the Chainsaw Buyback Program in collaboration with Yayasan ASRI. This initiative helps former illegal loggers transition to sustainable livelihoods while protecting vital forest habitats, particularly for orangutans.

Bali Zoo is home to over 600 animals and is dedicated to the conservation of Indonesia's endemic wildlife.