Do gibbons go ga-ga over pumpkins?
Do they ever, is the correct answer. But unlike we people, gibbons approach the seasonal squash with far more gusto, and a bigger appetite, and a willingness to dig deep for all of that juicy, delicious pulp.
You won't be required to chomp down on a gourd, gibbon-style, if you attend the first-ever Halloween party at the Gibbon Conservation Center in Santa Clarita on Saturday, Oct. 28. But there will be pumpkin decorating during the three-hour festival, a festival that will jump joyfully in spirit, from tree limb to tree limb, from 10 a.m. to 1 in the afternoon.
Gussying up the gibbons' favorite squashy treat isn't the only to-do on the outdoorsy docket, however. Activities, of the spooky and kidly sort, are planned, as are treat stations (complete with palm-free goodies).
And can your tots arrive in costume? Oh, they should, if they want to participate in the costume contest. This might be the first time they try out their Halloween costume before the 31st, too, so that's a plus.
The day out at the center is $15 for an adult, five bucks for a child ages 6 to 12 to enter, and students and seniors have a ten-dollar admission.
This is a price that not only gets you into the ghouly Halloween fun times, but also will give you a closer look at these wondrous small apes, and how their lives in Santa Clarita help further the cause of gibbon conservation around the planet.
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Oh, and shall they sing? It's a famously wowza moment, though the gibbons do have a lot of those, from how they enthusiastically swing among the branches to how they curiously observe human visitors to how they warble together when one gibbon suddenly gets vocal.
You love animals, and sweet Halloween fun, and fall sunshine? Find your not-so-scary Saturday pre-holiday merrymaking in Santa Clarita, among the gorgeous gibbons, those pumpkin-loving, singing 'n swinging superstars.
