Page 10 - Lambert Wackers

Captain Lambert Wackers and his spouse return to the Netherlands
On July 10, 1902, The Samarang Trade and Advertising Bulletin announced that Captain
L.H.F. Wackers of the Corps of Engineers and his spouse embarked in Padang to return to
the Netherlands. Lambert was 40 yrs.old, and Catharina, 36 yrs.
Upon resignation, Lambert H.F. Wackers was granted the titular rank of Major of the Genie.

This concludes Lambert Wackers' 19 years of service in the Dutch East Indies.

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Lambert Wackers in Amsterdam
Before leaving Sumatra, Lambert made a much-appreciated gift to the Zoological Garden,
"Artis" in Amsterdam.
Nieuws van den Dag, August 28, 1902 (Daily News):
"The collection of animals in Artis was recently enriched with several precious gifts, among
others, a rare " Javan Gibbon" or longarm monkey (Hylobates variegatus Kuhl). This Gibbon
is a gift from Sumatra by Mr. L.H.F. Wackers."

In 2009, the official name of the Javan Gibbon is Hylobates Moloch. This primate is now
the most endangered monkey species. Their lifespan is 35 yrs in the wild, and 50 yrs in
captivity. There are less than 2,000 gibbons living in the wild. They can attain a height of 1.4 -
2 feet (45-64 cm).
This gift by Lambert is somewhat unexpected. It shows how little we actually have learned
about him. What are his interests? how is he as a private person? Is he only a technical
person? Questions to which I have no answers.

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