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Just watching this little guy swing from vine to vine with his parents at the Hogle Zoo - you wouldn't know he has quite the story. But it's because of some very dedicated staff that he's here.
Katie Richins is the primary keeper of the Primate building at Hogle Zoo and says she's been waiting for this baby for several years now.
And sure enough, he came. Baby Thai was born on August 14 - to Candy - who's been at the Zoo since 1986. And while the staff was thrilled for a new baby ape - they quickly found that Candy couldn't produce enough milk to feed him.
"We had to have 24-hour care for him," says Richins. "He had to be with someone 24 hours a day."
For four months the staff at the zoo not only cared for Baby Thai - but they did it the entire time in front of his parents - at night sleeping on floor outside their exhibit. They wore vests of fake fur for him to cling to, even climbed trees to teach him how to be an ape.
"We did not want him to imprint on a human," Richins said. "So, we had to do everything just like a Gibbon mom."
In order to feed Baby Thai - the staff came up with bottle system that not only he would accept - but his parents too.
"We trained him that whenever we said 'Thai bottle' he came down to the door," said Richins. After 4 months of this around the clock training a healthy Baby Thai was re-introduced to his parents.
Candy quickly scooped him up - and when his father, Riley got too close she slapped him - just so he knew to be gentle.
Richins says is an indescribable feeling to see Candy back with her baby. Successfully reuniting white-handed Gibbons can be very difficult - they're an aggressive breed, not always friendly to outsiders.
Now other Zoo's around the country taking notice of how the staff at Hogle Zoo did it - and how happy this furry family is to be back together again.
But Richins says the little family is acclimating well to being parents. "They play with him constantly. It's just the perfect little family together."
