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.