A BABY gibbon is set to be the first to be released into the wild from Monkey World at Wool.

Tia Nang, a golden-cheeked gibbon, was born at the park in February.

Tia Nang, her sibling Tien and her parents Peanut and Pung-Yo could be the first to go back to their natural habitat through Monkey World’s rescue centre at Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam.

Tia Nang was named by the winner of a competition run on Heart FM, formerly 2CR.

Regular visitor Emma Matthews, 40, of Blandford, won the contest and visited the park to officially name her.

The name Tia Nang, meaning ‘ray of sunshine’ in Vietnamese, was chosen by Monkey World director Dr Alison Cronin and her team.

Dr Cronin said the name summed up the aims of the centre in Vietnam.

She added: “We hope that Tia Nang and her family will be sent into the wild in Vietnam, and so she truly is a ray of hope.”

The centre in Vietnam was the dream of Dr Cronin’s late husband, Jim, and the 64-hectare site was opened in 2008.

It helps gibbons rescued from the smuggling trade to recover in isolation and be either released back into the wild or cared for in captivity if they are too badly injured.

The centre is already home to 14 gibbons and, if the family are released, they would be the first to make the trip from Dorset back to the wild.

Competition winner Emma said: “I wanted to suggest something really special, as she’ll be sent back into the wild, and something that would be a symbol of hope.”

She has now become Tia Nang’s first adoptive parent and was presented with a certificate by Dr Cronin.