A siamang at a New Mexico zoo is melting hearts after gently rescuing a baby bird that accidentally landed inside her habitat.
The tender moment happened in late May at ABQ BioPark Zoo in Albuquerque, where Eve, one of the zoo’s resident siamangs, came across a tiny bird that had entered her enclosure.
Megan Agena, a member of the zoo’s primate care team, shared more about the sweet encounter in a June 27 video posted by ABQ BioPark. Agena said that when she first saw Eve pick up the baby bird, she was not sure what the siamang would do with such a fragile little animal.
“I quickly saw that she was actually being very gentle with the baby bird and showing maternal behaviors toward it,” Agena said in the video.
The bird appeared to be a fledgling American robin, and Eve quickly seemed to slip into caretaker mode.
Eve, who had already welcomed her own baby before the incident, cradled the tiny robin in her arms, groomed it and even appeared to try to nurse it.
“Every time it would make a noise, she would try her best to comfort it,” Agena said.
Eve also seemed protective of the bird. Not long after keepers noticed her with it, she carried the robin into her indoor space, apparently trying to keep it away from the other two siamangs in the habitat.
“Not long after I noticed her with the bird, she took it inside to her indoor space because she was very protective of it and presumably wanted to keep it away from the other two siamangs in the habitat,” Agena explained.
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Keepers carefully monitored Eve and waited for the right moment to safely retrieve the baby bird without upsetting her.
That moment finally came when Eve gently placed the robin beside her while eating breakfast. When she later stepped outside, Agena was able to safely pick up the bird.
The robin appeared healthy and unharmed, and keepers were able to reunite it with its mother.
According to the National Zoo, siamangs are the largest species of gibbon and are native to forests in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. The dark, shaggy-coated apes can grow between 29 and 35 inches tall and weigh around 23 pounds.
Siamangs are also known for their close family structures. Adult pairs, including both males and females, help raise their young together.
Eve lives at ABQ BioPark Zoo with her mate, Wayan, and their daughter, Rahsia, fitting right into that family-centered pattern.
Still, keepers said Eve’s behavior with the baby bird was unusual and deeply touching.
“Looking back, we don’t know why Eve did what she did,” Agena said. “She’s the most independent and gentle of the three siamangs here.”
“While it’s uncommon to see this kind of behavior between different species, it may just be in her nature,” she added.
For the zoo staff, watching Eve carefully protect and comfort the tiny robin became a powerful reminder of just how sensitive and intelligent animals can be.
“Either way, seeing Eve care for the baby bird like that was very heartwarming,” Agena said. “It’s a gentle reminder that these animals are intelligent and have instincts that go deeper than we can imagine.”