Ape See Ape Do

There was once a bunch of imposendangered animals. Mr. Mootnick ter,” said Gabriella Skollar, Director sibly cute and endearingly musibecame a world-renowned authority of the GCC since 2014. She explained cal primates swinging around a on gibbon biology and conservation, that the place’s mission is “to procompound just outside the City of ultimately founding and funding mote the conservation, study, care and Santa Clarita. And then they moved to (himself) the creation of the GCC in preservation of this rare species of priSanta Barbara County. 1976. He continued to foot the bill mates from becoming extinct.”

That’s how, ideally, the story will go until 1990 when the organization In order to continue their work, the for the Gibbon Conservation Center, became a non-profit. facility now needs to find a new home, a unique research, breeding and resiThe sanctuary, which houses the and soon. Their lease expires in July dential facility dreamed up and estabrarest group of apes (they’re not monof 2021. lished by the equally distinctive Alan keys) in the Western Hemisphere, When the GCC’s founder died in Mootnick. A native of Los Angeles currently has 38 gibbons, some of 2011 (surrounded by family and a and self-taught primatologist, Mr. which came from zoos and others recording of gibbon songs playing) Mootnick had first fallen in love with that were born there. Ivan, the oldest “we lost ownership of the land and gibbons while watching Tarzan on TV at 46 years old, ended up in Santa had to start paying rent,” Skollar said. as a kid. Clarita via Moscow, 30 years ago. The “That’s part of why we’re relocating,

It was the calls from the small youngest at the Center is just under but he’d actually always wanted to jungle-apes in the background one year old. move since a more temperate climate that hooked him immediately and “The baby’s dad is a first-time father would be better for the gibbons and permanently, leading to a life of who was really shy at first but has also, we want to grow.” immersion in the study of these rare, changed a lot since having his daughAt the heart of the expansion plan is the desire to have a classroom. “We want to have more educational offerings for children,” Skollar continued. “We currently invite school groups to tour and would like to add lectures, a zoo camp, plus have room for weddings, birthday parties, and other events.” • Available to care for our neighbors, and accepting new patients. Areas being considered for the Center’s new home are Solvang, • Infection control protocol followed, with all areas sanitized including wait area and exam room. Lompoc, Santa Maria, or anywhere in SB County. “We’d had a spot in Lompoc we were hoping for, but it 1483 E. Valley Road, Suite M | 805.969.6090 went into escrow before we could raise the money for purchase,” Skollar said. “We need to have at least fifteen 20 MONTECITO JOURNAL “Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it.” – Laurence J. Peter

acres; twenty would be better.”

As properties are vetted, there is also this to consider: The hills will be alive with the sound of music. “Gibbons sing at sunrise,” she pointed out. “It’s a beautiful sound, but this does add an issue to finding a place. I live on-site and it’s the best thing to wake up to. However our neighbors have to love it. We can’t just move somewhere without checking with them first and suddenly they have thirty singing apes next to them.”

Gibbons begin expressing themselves this way when only a few months old. “They vocalize when spying food on the way,” says Skollar, who originally came directly from Hungary to the GCC in 2005 as a volunteer. “Also, when they are playing and tickle each other, they giggle, they smile, and they laugh.”

The furry, roughly 14-pound creatures serenade, too. “When looking for a partner, they sing a solo song,” says Skollar. “The young males practice, sometimes for an hour at a time. Couples coordinate duets. They are so romantic.”

The GCC has, historically, maintained a team of about twenty volunteers. It works with Girl Scout and Eagle Scout projects, offers opportunities to learn how to prepare food, and teaches visitors and helpers about individual gibbons and family dynamics.

There are ‘Adopt a Gibbon’ and ‘Caretaker for a Day’ programs, as well as a gift shop where books, clothing and of course gibbon earrings can be found.

Donations to their relocation fund can be made through the GCC’s website (gibboncenter.org) where there’s also an Amazon wishlist related to the facility’s daily operational needs.

“A lot of people aren’t familiar with what a gibbon even is,” Skollar said. “But, once they come here, people fall in love with these creatures and this place.” •MJ

Gibbon Conservation Center

19100 Esguerra Road Santa Clarita, CA 91390 661-296-2737 gibboncenter.org

ON THE RECORD (from page 12) down into two groups instead of three allows students to be on campus more safely and more often,” she said. “We can help students who need it the most , and they can have safe connections with others.”

However, all these details are subject to approval by the county’s education board, not to mention state guidelines on how schools should reopen. Simmons said she anticipates strict state health and safety rules for schools that will require enhanced cleaning of all surface areas, reduce indoor classroom size, and require facial coverings for everyone on campus and possibly even face masks for front office staff. “All these things are being decided Santa Barbara High School gears up for a most unusual fall semester right now, because it doesn’t matter what our bell schedule is if we can’t ensure hopes to collect enough funds from our facilities are safe and clean,” she added. “Whatever the State of California fellow Dons during the summer break and our county says we have to do we will follow.” to match that gift and ensure the position can be filled by the start of Fall Dons Double Down on Student Mental Health semester. “About 10 percent of our students struggle with emotional issues,”

The worst job losses since the Great Depression have occurred in just the said SBHS principal Simmons. “That’s past few months, and Santa Barbara’s student population and their parents – about 220 kids that need support, and especially low-income families who were already struggling financially – have one therapist can only carry a caseload been experiencing severe levels of stress lately. Because of this, school officials of about 12 to 15 students.” anticipate that more students than usual will need extra emotional support For kids with emotional or medical once classes resume this fall. Yet SHBS has only one full-time therapist and two disabilities that directly impact their part-time therapists available to provide counseling for kids. Because of this, ability to learn, the high school has the Foundation for Santa Barbara High School has secured a $37,500 gift from a a psychologist available as part of a local donor who has agreed to fund half the cost of another full-time therapist larger assessment team, as required for the campus. To complete the funding for this new full-time position, the Foundation ON THE RECORD Page 474

SBHS Principal Elise Simmons hopes to tackle student mental health ahead of time

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