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News: The first instance globally of a Western hoolock gibbon using an artificial canopy bridge over a railway line was recorded in Assam’s Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary recently, offering cautious optimism for the survival of India’s only ape species.
About Hoolock Gibbon
- Hoolock gibbons are primates and fall under the category of apes, which are evolutionarily closest to humans.
- It is also known as the White-Browed Gibbon.
- Scientific name: Bunopithecus hoolock
- They are the only ape species found in India.
- Habitat: They thrive in tropical semi-deciduous and tropical deciduous forest.
- They prefer to live in three-tier canopies (high, middle, and low), which offer shelter, food, and suitable trees for movement.
- Distribution: The Hoolock gibbon is found in northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and southern China.
- In India, it inhabits the regions south of the Brahmaputra River, including states such as Assam (Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary), Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, and Tripura.
- According to Zoologists, Northeast of India houses two species of the ape — the eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) found in a specific region of Arunachal Pradesh and the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) distributed elsewhere in the Northeast.
- It is considered a keystone species, meaning its presence is vital for the health of the ecosystem
- Physical Characteristics
- It exhibits sexual dichromatism: Adult males have black coats with prominent white eyebrows, while adult females have a golden, buff, or brownish coat.
- Size and Weight: The head and body length ranges from 45.7–63.0 cm, and the weight of males is between 6.1–7.9 kg, while females weigh between 6.0–6.6 kg.
- Hoolock gibbons are known for their territorial songs, which are loud, elaborate duets sung by both males and females.
- Diet: The Hoolock gibbon is primarily frugivorous, feeding on fruits, leaves, flowers, tender buds, and insects.
- Threats:
- Habitat fragmentation, largely caused by deforestation and agricultural activities like jhumming.
- Poaching for meat and medicinal purposes is a major threat to the species.
- Conservation status
- IUCN: Endangered
- Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972: Schedule I
