House Painter Founded World-Leading Gibbon Conservation Center

The Gibbon Conservation Center, located in the Santa Clarita Valley north of Los Angeles, has evolved over 50 years from a small animal housing facility into a globally recognized institution dedicated exclusively to the care and well-being of gibbons. These primates, known for their distinctive singing, are among the rarest and most critically endangered on Earth. The center currently provides sanctuary for approximately 40 gibbons representing five different species. Their vocalizations, which can range from sounds resembling emergency sirens and bird screeches to low grunts and guttural hoots, are often audible up to a mile away in the sparsely populated outskirts of Santa Clarita.

The center was founded by Alan Mootnick, who was a self-taught primatologist. Mootnick developed his expertise in gibbons while simultaneously operating a home painting and remodeling business. His significant contributions to the field included publishing papers in scientific journals, hosting international researchers, and serving as a primary source of information for other scientists regarding gibbon identification and care. According to Director Gabi Skollar, scientists would frequently send Mootnick photographs of rescued gibbons for species identification or play him recordings of their vocalizations for analysis. Skollar herself relocated from Hungary to the United States in 2005 with the specific intention of learning from Mootnick and working at the center.

Following Mootnick's unexpected death in 2011 due to complications from heart surgery, Skollar assumed leadership of the Gibbon Conservation Center. Initially planning to pursue further education after her time at the center, Skollar stated that she felt compelled to remain and continue Mootnick's mission, unable to abandon the gibbons under her care. She emphasized the necessity of persevering to maintain the facility and its inhabitants. Skollar now resides on-site at the center, sharing her living space with another caretaker. Her daily routine begins at sunrise with the gibbons' vocalizations, and she considers them akin to her own children. The center's work extends beyond direct care, contributing to global research efforts focused on gibbons. Skollar's deep familiarity with the gibbons allows her to recognize their individual personalities and unique quirks, a testament to her decades of dedication to their welfare.