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Adelaide Zoo’s White-cheeked Gibbon baby, born September 14, 2011, has taken her first swings alone under the watchful eye of doting mother, Viet.

After spending the first few months of life clinging safely to mum the baby girl is now venturing out to explore her treetop home.

This big step comes at an exciting time for Adelaide Zoo, with the popular baby being named this week. The name, Nhu, was decided on by Keepers following a number of suggestions made on Adelaide Zoo’s Facebook page.

Nhu, which was suggested by Amy Atherton, is Vietnamese and means ‘everything according to one’s wishes’.

While Nhu is getting used to her home she will continue to develop, White-cheeked Gibbons are born golden in colour before gradually turning black. Females turn gold again when they reach maturity at around five years of age, while males remain black.

The White-cheeked Gibbon’s natural habitat is in Laos, Vietnam and Southern China with the species classified as critically endangered due to deforestation and poaching for the wildlife trade. Nhu is very important to the genetic diversity of the captive population in the Australasian region.