Category: Asia

Silvery gibbons are found in the island of Java. They are very endangered, and people in the country need increased reason to support their continued existence. It is true that in many places on earth where it is less of a struggle to survive and feed your family, protecting this primate would be of higher importance. We need to make this primates survival important for the people who live nearby, by giving a financial relevance. We can do this in 2 ways, the first is directly – making sure that conservation charities in the country are well resourced, and by giving money to those which engage locals and make sure that it is financially an incentive for the gibbon to survive. The other way, is through ecotourism – by travelling to visit Java, and to see the Javan rhino, we can make sure that locals see a direct link between the survival of the gibbon and their own wellbeing – Java lost their Orangutans a very long time ago, as well as their tiger in recent times, there is still a chance for Java to save what is left but they must act now.

It was listed as 2500, in 2008, it is unclear what has happened during the intervening 15 years, but its most recent assessment (in 2008) suggests that it had a likelihood of 50% of being extinct within a decade.

I suppose that we should feel pleased that we still have a chance. It is estimated that there are 8 viable populations of these gibbons, which add up to 2000, the largest of which is Mount Halimun Salak National park which sustains around 1000 in this single area. Other large populations of several hundred are found in Gunung Ciremai National park and Gunung Gede Pangrango national park. There are also about 12 reserves with non-viable populations. By treating these reserves as one mega reserve, and translocating these gibbons around so as to have one mega population, all these reserves could maintain healthy populations.

 Given the fact that the Javan Orangutan is extinct, it is well worth working on saving this gibbon, as it can help them build more ecotourism travel to Java. While these animals are not great apes, they are lesser apes, and are very interesting to watch. There are likely to be a great draw in places where Orangutans do not exist, such as on mainland Asia, as well as in smaller reserves that cannot support Orangutans.

This is not a species that I have written about, but as I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the news.

The Borneon white cheeked gibbon, which lives in Borneo has been shown to be closely related (it was until recently considered a subspecies) so will be covered on this page. At the current time, the Borneon white cheeked gibbon is one of the most secure primate species, with over 100,000 remaining in the wild.

There are currently around 35,000 in Cambodia in the wild, with another 30,000 in Thailand

While these animals are not great apes, they are lesser apes, and are very interesting to watch. There are likely to be a great draw in places where Orangutans do not exist, such as on mainland Asia, as well as in smaller reserves that cannot support Orangutans.

This is not a species that I have written about, but if I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the news

As they are newly discovered, little work has gone into understanding much about them. They are classed as endangered, but they are also known to be decreasing in the wild. It was only discovered in 2010.

Interestingly, the scientists first identified this as a new species by its very different song to other gibbons. Unfortunately, while I can see no evidence of a more recent survey, an estimate from 2011 suggested that this new crested gibbon population would be similar to other crested gibbon species, which number around 200. I hope to write on this species in the near future.

This is not a species that I have written about, but if I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the news

This is not a species that I have written about, but if I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the news

Kloss gibbons (also known as Mentawai gibbon, the bilou or the dwarf siamang). It is all black though smaller than the Siamang, also lacking the Siamang throats pouch. It is hard to tell the difference between males and females. Kloss’s gibbon exclusively lives on the “Mentawai Islands” that lie to the west of Sumatra. This island chain consists of 4 islands. The islands have large areas of rainforest, and this is where the Kloss gibbon spends its time. Pairs live in exclusive areas of 20-30 hectares, which it defends aggressively against other gibbons.

This is not a species that I have written about, but if I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the news. .

While currently classed as 3 different species, recent analysis has shown that these species are actually very similar, and likely subspecies of each other. These species may well be split out in the future, but for the time being I will have them all on this page.

The Northern white cheeked gibbon is currently only found in northern Vietnam and North Laos. They were found in China in recent times and were only declared on the edge of extirpation in 2008. They were officially declared extinct in China in 2013. While there may be no space for its return to China in the near future, should it survive elsewhere there is a likelihood for it to return to China at some point in the future. There are only a few protected areas where this gibbon survives, and probably number between 200-400 in the wild.

The Southern white cheeked gibbon had an original range that covered central Vietnam and central Laos. While it is still common in the large remaining forest blocks within this area, these patches are scattered and fragmented by human encroachment and deforestation. The Southern white cheeked gibbon has also suffered declines of around 50% over the last 45 years.

Finally the Yellow cheecked gibbon ( also known as the golden-cheeked gibbon, the yellow-cheeked crested gibbon, the golden-cheeked crested gibbon, the red-cheeked gibbon and finally  the buffed-cheeked gibbon) is also closely related to these two – at various times one or more of these species has been considered a subspecies of one of the other, as such they are clearly closely related. Whether these species will remain separate or not, I have chosen to handle them together. This is found in various areas of Vietnam Laos and Cambodia.

It has various stable populations  in reserves, but how well it does outside protected areas is less clear.

While these 3 species have split up in the last few years, there future standing and likely survival or extinction is widely varied.

• The western Hoolock gibbons’s estimated population in 1980s was 3,000 individuals. By 2020 there were only about 469 gibbons left in 135 groups in Bangladesh’s northeastern and southeastern forests, according to the study. The decline is thought to be around 84% in 40 years in their Bangladesh population.
• The Eastern Hoolock gibbons are thought to be far more numerous, however their population is predicted to shrink by 30% in the next 3 generations (45 years) so they may be uprated from vulerable in the near future.
• The Skywalker gibbon (also known as the Gaoligong hoolock gibbon) is thought to have split from the Eastern Hoolock gibbon around half a million years ago. Unfortunately there are only thought to be 150 remaining members of this species, so they are extremely vulnerable to extinction. Unfortunately this species also has a fragmented range, which means that each small fragment has a higher chance of being pushed towards extinction. Regular translocation of these gibbons could assist in retaining a genetically healthy species – but whether this will occur is another matter.

This is not a species that I have written about, but if I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the news

Agile gibbons are found in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra, Malaysia, and southern Thailand.

While not commonly recognized as having subspecies, some recognize a mountain and lowland version.

Accurate numbers of these gibbons in the wild are hard to find, but declines of 50% are thought to have occurred in the last 45 years, so this species is also classed as endangered. 

 While the Bornean white bearded gibbon is now considered a separate species, I will deal with it on the same page as they are similar. This species is considered endangered. Should news on this species grow, we will separate it out from other species.

While these animals are not great apes, they are lesser apes, and are very interesting to watch. There are likely to be a great draw in places where Orangutans do not exist, such as on mainland Asia, as well as in smaller reserves that cannot support Orangutans.

This is not a species that I have written about, but if I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the new

The Grey (Mullers/Southern, Northern, Western(Abbots) and Eastern) gibbon is a species endemic to the island of Borneo. As you can see, it goes by a variety of names.

Thought, until recently to be a single species, alongside the Northern and the Southern grey, recent studies have demonstrated that they are distinct enough to be separated either as subspecies or species. However, we are going to deal with them together. It is true that along the border of their ranges, there have been occasions of breeding together -and while lions and tigers have interbred, this seems different. It is possible that in the future, I will separate them out.

Borneon grey gibbons are as a whole considered endangered, having suffered a greater than 50% decline in numbers in the last 45 years.

The rainforests of Borneo are thought to be 140 million years old yet humans have destroyed half of it in just 40 years. The biggest driver of this deforestation is the Palm oil industry, which has required land to grow its crops. Never-ending growth of the lands for this crop must end, though whether this end will be reached while Borneon forests still stand is anyones guess.

This is not a species that I have written about, but if I do in the future, it will appear below. Furthermore, as we add destinations that are good for this species they will appear below the news (do feel free to send news articles that you write to be included here)