Hoolock Gibbon

July 17, 2023

The conservation status of India’s only ape was a cause for concern at a global event on Hoolock gibbons held recently in China.

About Hoolock Gibbon:

  • It is the only ape found in India.
  • It is native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar, and Southwest China.
  • Gibbons, the smallest and fastest of all apes, live in tropical and subtropical forests in the southeastern part of Asia.
  • The Hoolock gibbon, unique to India’s northeast, is one of 20 species of gibbons on Earth.
  • It is categorised into Western Hoolock Gibbon and Eastern Hoolock Gibbon.
  • Like all apes, they are extremely intelligent, with distinct personalities and strong family bonds.
  • Western Hoolock Gibbon
    • It has a much wider range, as it is found in all the states of the north-east, restricted between the south of the Brahmaputra river and east of the Dibang river.
    • Outside India, it is found in eastern Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar.
    • It is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red list.
  • Eastern Hoolock gibbon
    • It inhabits specific pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India, and southern China and north-east Myanmar.
    • It is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red list.

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