The Nate-ure Report: Swinging with endangered siamangs

EL PASO, Texas -- In the latest installment of "The Nate-ure Report," ABC-7's Nate Ryan swings with the siamangs at the El Paso Zoo.

Siamangs are an endangered primate indigenous to the forests of Southeast Asia.

Since Siamangs have such strong upper bodies as a result of dwelling in the treetops of the rainforest, they have to equate for balance on the ground floor when they walk.

“Siamangs are arboreal so they would mostly live in the trees all of their lives but here at the zoo they feel a little more comfortable coming to the ground," says Stacey Flores, a zookeeper at the El Paso Zoo.

"They do use their hands to keep their balance so that they don’t fall over when they walk. They’re a little bit top heavy so they use it to keep their balance,” Flores explains.

It’s a party of three siamangs at the Zoo: Mom Sunny, and youngsters Addy and Deja.

But this trio has a touching backstory, as Deja was acquired through a foster program through zoos nationwide.

“Deja was originally born at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Her parents were very young and they weren’t caring for her properly," says Flores.

"So that’s when that Zoo decided they should pull her so she could get the proper nutrients and care, and they went and looked out for a foster," explains Flores.

“And they reached out to us and said do you think that she’d be a good foster parent and we said yes!”

So If MTV is looking for a new reality special, the foster monkeys at the El Paso Zoo could be next in line.

Catch "The Nate-ure Report" weekdays on ABC-7 at 6.