Meet Duke, a rare Javan Gibbon, one of the few born in captivity, and born right here in Greensboro, N.C. According to the Greensboro Science Center’s website, in 2012, they were selected to be the second accredited zoo in the U.S.A. to breed Javan Gibbons. It is one of the rarest Gibbon species in the world and is only found in the wild on the island of Java.

Gibbons spend most of their lives in trees and move from Point A to Point B by a movement known as brachiation, a swinging motion that enables them to move up to 35 miles an hour, swinging between branches up to 50 feet apart. Watching these aerodynamically sound creatures at the Greensboro Science Center is fascinating. Little Duke, however, loves to take time to stop and pose for the camera like he did for us this summer. It was touch and go for little Duke, because his mother wasn’t overly interested in mothering. Read Duke’s adventure below.*

In the meantime, today is ABC Wednesday and G for our STEAM Round is Gibbon.

*read more about Duke and the GSC’s gibbons,  here.