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Hmmm. Door number one or door number two? It's hard to make good choices with little or no information, yet this is often what happens.
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Philadelphia Zoo douc langur keeper Anna Halko-Angemi knows that naming your animals' offspring is an important decision that takes careful thought. So when the Zoo's critically endangered red-shanked douc langurs gave birth, she went straight to her manicurist for advice.

Like the doucs, Anna's "nail guy" is from Vietnam and was able to offer many appropriate suggestions. Quítu, (pronounced Whee-tul), which means "special son," is the name she chose.

Listening to Anna talk about Quítu is like listening to a proud parent talk about their child. "He's not even four, and he's already almost as big as an adult-much larger than other doucs his age." Over the past five years, Anna built a strong relationship with Quítu's mother, Isabeau, and his father, Cau, who died recently of kidney failure, but her connection with Quítu began the day he was born.

Isabeau had no problem delivering Quítu, but for some reason the umbilical cord remained intact following the birth. Anna monitored mother and son to see if she would take care of the cord and the afterbirth herself, but after a few hours, she decided it was too risky to wait any longer. She grabbed a piece of yam, entered Isabeau's exhibit and gingerly made her way towards the pair. Isabeau's trust in Anna allowed her to come within an arm's length of her and her newborn in order to accept the yam. Anna tossed it onto a shelf and Isabeau picked it up. As she did so, Anna was able to quickly reach over and cut the cord, an extraordinary example of the bond between Anna, Isabeau and Quítu. It was a moment Anna will never forget.

These kinds of ties between keepers and the animals they keep are not only emotionally rewarding, but they have a practical purpose. These bonds are a way of opening the door to train an animal to willingly participate in routine medical procedures that would otherwise be very stressful to undertake. For instance, daily urine samples are collected from Isabeau to monitor her reproductive cycle and kidney status. Thanks to Anna's skill in working with her, Isabeau happily squats over a tray and urinates when asked to "go potty."

Anna's devotion to the doucs has contributed significantly to their overall health and well being. They are active, alert, playful and best of all, relaxed. The enrichment items Anna gives to them, like Quítu's favorite, a purple rocking horse, also help in maintaining these positive behaviors.

It's difficult for Anna to characterize how she feels about taking care of the douc langurs because the experience goes far beyond the realm of a job or career. Interacting with such amazing creatures on a daily basis is one of those things that can change a person forever. Maybe the word she's looking for is love.