Urgent Call for 'Project Gibbon' to Save India's Endangered Western Hoolock Gibbons

The Western Hoolock Gibbons, the only ape species in India, are facing the threat of local extinction, primarily due to habitat degradation and human activities, according to primatologist Dilip Chetry. The gibbons, found across fragmented forest patches in Northeast India, are challenged by encroachment, resource extraction, and other human-induced factors.

During the 30th Congress of the International Primatological Society in Madagascar, Chetry emphasized the alarming decline of these apes, advocating for a national 'Project Gibbon' akin to India's 'Project Tiger'. He underscored the importance of this initiative in preserving the species, which is limited to regions south of the Brahmaputra river.

Chetry stressed the need for specific conservation actions, including habitat restoration, ecological corridor creation, and policy advocacy to promote the Western Hoolock Gibbon as a flagship species. His proposal includes developing a Gibbon Conservation Action Plan, aiming for comprehensive state and national strategies with allocated funding.

(With inputs from agencies.)