A Sad Farewell to Handsome Donny

Like all our gibbons, Donny had a tale to tell. Born in a Michigan zoo on October 15, 1989 he and his brother were sent to an Ohio zoo where his brother died at an early age. A year later he went to zoo in Indiana where he was attacked mercilessly and sustained serious injuries. In 1998 poor Donny was sent to yet another zoo in Wisconsin. This time he had a companion for two years until she passed. Then, because of the cold climate, he spent most of his time inside and alone.

Finally in 2001, Donny’s life was about to change when the zoo asked IPPL to take him because they were very short staffed. He was introduced to E.T. and they were a perfect match until 2017 when she passed. There were attempts to pair Donny with other female gibbons, but it seemed that he preferred to live alone. He spent his time lounging in his aerial runways, enjoying the sun and watching his caregivers to make sure they were doing their jobs.

Donny was a very handsome and intelligent gibbon, who would even open his own window in the morning if someone unlatched it and cracked it just enough for him to get his fingers in! He was also the only gibbon we saw using a mirror to look at things outside of his field of vision.
It’s no surprise that Donny was featured often in Facebook posts, appeals, etc. for he was not only very handsome – he was photogenic as well!

On February 5, 2025, we lost Donny after a cerebral event. We will miss his unique personality and handsome face, but we have many fond memories of how special he was!