Community members took to the streets to protest a Gibbon Conservation Center proposed for a Santa Margarita neighborhood.
A group of Parkhill residents stood along Highway 58 and El Camino in Santa Margarita Saturday afternoon holding signs in opposition to the ape sanctuary.
Residents said they are concerned about noise, increased well water usages, increased traffic, and sanitation among other things.
According to the Gibbon Conservation Center’s website, the gibbon's voice can be heard up to two miles away and it’s the loudest land mammal on earth.
Around three dozen apes known as gibbons may be moved to a ranch property in the 3900 block of Parkhill Road in Santa Margarita and will be operated by the non-profit Gibbon Conservation Center.
They’re currently located on five acres in Santa Clarita that they’ve been leasing for more than 40 years.
The potential new location in Santa Margarita, which spans 26 acres, is in escrow.
Residents also expressed concern about the size of the facility, light pollution and declining property values.
