>>> THE GREENSBORO SCIENCE CENTER HOSTS MANY FASCINATING
ANIMALS YOUR FAMILY WOULD LOVE TO VISIT, INCLUDING LEMURS,
WALLABIES, AND EVEN TIGERS.
NEXT, WE'LL MEET THE ANIMAL WHO IS PERHAPS THE MOST SPECIAL OF
ALL, A YOUNG GIBBON NAMED DUKE.
>> OF ALL THE ADAPTATIONS THAT HAVE SUSTAINED HUMANS ON THIS
PLANET, PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT IS AN INNATE DRIVE TO
SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES.
OUR PASSION TO COMFORT BURNS SO STRONG THAT IT EVEN EXTENDS TO
OTHER SPECIES IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.
FOR EVIDENCE OF THIS PHENOMENON, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE
GREENSBORO SCIENCE CENTER WHERE ON APRIL 29, 2013, A BABY JAVAN
GIBBON NAMED DUKE WAS BORN INTO HUMANITY'S CRADLE OF ALTRUISM.
>> I KNOW YOU'RE COLD.
>> WHEN THE STAFF DISCOVERED HIM FOLLOWING HIS BIRTH, HIS MOTHER
WAS NOT CARING FOR HIM, AND HIS BODY WAS WEAK.
>> HE WAS JUST ON THE FLOOR.
SO -- AND THAT'S ACTUALLY REALLY COMMON WITH FIRST-TIME PARENTS.
THEY AREN'T SURE WHAT TO DO, SO THEY WILL ABANDON THEM.
>> FACED WITH THIS DILEMMA, THE ZOOKEEPERS WITH HELP FROM
VOLUNTEERS ACTED AS PROXY MOTHERS, GIVING DUKE SOMEONE TO
CLING TO WHEN ALL HOPE SEEMED LOST.
>> SO WE HAD TO MAKE THESE FUR APRONS, AND HE WOULD ACTUALLY
CLING TO THE APRON.
>> THE STAFF MADE SURE DUKE DEVELOPED ARM STRENGTH SINCE
GIBBONS MOSTLY MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE BY SWINGING WITH A
HAND-OVER-HAND MOTION CALLED BRACHIATING.
>> WHEN WE'D ACTUALLY DO DIAPER CHANGES, WE WOULD HAVE HIM HOLD
ONTO OUR FINGERS.
AND SO HE'D ACTUALLY LEARN TO DO PULL-UPS.
>> BECAUSE BABY GIBBONS NEED CONTACT WITH SOMEONE AROUND THE
CLOCK, ZOOKEEPERS AND VOLUNTEERS TOOK TURNS SLEEPING SITING UP
WITH DUKE CLINGING TO THE APRON AND SLEEPING TOO.
>> YOU DO KIND OF GET THAT BOND WITH HIM, AND HE GETS THAT BOND
WITH YOU AND THE OTHER STAFF JUST BECAUSE HE'S USED TO YOU
BEING THERE.
HE ACTUALLY ADJUSTED REALLY WELL WHEN WE GAVE HIM BACK TO MOM.
>> DUKE AND HIS PARENTS BONDED.
THOUGH THE GIBBON FAMILY GREW ACCUSTOMED TO FACING LIFE
TOGETHER, DUKE'S ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT RESULTED IN A SECOND
TRAGEDY IN OCTOBER OF 2014.
>> HE'S ALWAYS GETTING INTO SOMETHING, SO IT DOESN'T
ACTUALLY SURPRISE ME.
BUT HE PROBABLY WAS JUST GOOFING AROUND AND, YOU KNOW,
BRACHIATING, AND JUST FELL AND GOT HURT.
SO THEN WHEN THEY WENT TO GO DO A KEEPER TOSS THAT DAY AND HE
WOULDN'T LEAVE THAT SPOT, THEN THEY KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG,
BECAUSE THEN HIS ARM WAS JUST KIND OF DANGLING.
SO WHEN I SAW HIM, HE WAS JUST RESTING IT, AND HE WASN'T UPSET
ABOUT IT.
HE WASN'T CRYING ABOUT IT.
HE WAS JUST LIKE SOMETHING HAPPENED, BUT I'M GOING TO STAY
HERE.
>> FORTUNATELY FOR DUKE, ONCE AGAIN, HIS CAREGIVERS
INTERVENED.
DR. BRIAN TRUMPATORI FROM THE VETERINARY SPECIALTY HOSPITAL OF
THE CAROLINAS PERFORMED SURGERY.
>> IT WAS BROKEN.
THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO HEAL PROPERLY WAS TO PUT THE ROD AND
THE PINS BACK IN FOR IT TO HEAL.
>> THE SURGERY WAS A SUCCESS, BUT DUKE HAD TO MOVE INTO A ROOM
WITH NO CLIMBING STRUCTURES SO THAT HE WOULD REST HIS ARM.
>> WE'D FEED HIM, TRY TO KEEP HIM ENTERTAINED AS MUCH AS WE
COULD.
HE JUST -- HE SEEMED NERVOUS, LIKE HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS
GOING ON.
SO PEOPLE STARTED DONATING BLANKETS.
WE HAVE REALLY BIG STUFFED ANIMALS FOR HIM.
SO WE HAD ALL SORTS OF STUFF FOR HIM TO DO.
AND THEN JUST BECAUSE HE IS A PRIMATE AND SOCIALLY WE WANTED
TO GIVE HIM SOMETHING, WE GAVE HIM A TV TO WATCH DURING THE
DAY.
>> AFTER THE ARM BEGAN TO HEAL, DUKE WAS MOVED TO HIS HOLDING
AREA FOR A FEW WEEKS TO HAVE ACCESS TO A FEW CLIMBING
OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS ALLOWED HIS ARMS TO STRENGTHEN IN PREPARATION FOR
HIS RETURN TO THE PUBLIC VIEWING AREA.
>> I'M EXCITED, BECAUSE I THINK HE'LL BE REALLY HAPPY TO GO BACK
OUTSIDE AND MOVE AROUND.
AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S DOING REALLY WELL IN THE BACK, BUT YOU CAN
TELL HE WANTS TO GO OUT.
>> ON DECEMBER 17th, 2014, DUKE FINALLY RECEIVED MEDICAL
CLEARANCE TO RETURN TO HIS EXHIBIT AREA.
WHEN IN GREENSBORO, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO VISIT DUKE AND SHARE
IN THE JOY OF HIS RETURN TO CLIMBING AND SWINGING, YOU MAY
PERHAPS TAKE A MOMENT TO CONSIDER MANY SPECIAL THINGS
ABOUT HIM.
HE LIVES IN ONLY ONE OF TWO JAVAN GIBBON FACILITIES
ACCREDITED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS.
HE IS ONLY ONE OF EIGHT JAVAN GIBBONS BORN IN CAPTIVITY EVER
IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.
AND PERHAPS MOST MIRACULOUS, DUKE IS A REMINDER OF HOW MUCH
WE CARE.