Tag: lesser ape

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Cao vit Gibbon is 40% closer to extinction than thought.

This species was already only thought to have a wild population of 120, however the population has been found to have fallen to just 74 (a 38% reduction).

Just found in a fragment of rainforest on the Vietnam – China border, the remaining population is estimated to live in 11 family groups.

Surveys are capable of being done remotely, as the gibbons call loudly at certain times of the day (dawn) allowing them to be counted. Importantly, they have been able to “fingerprint” each of the gibbons by their unique calls. This means that a few handfuls of directional speakers should allow the ability to keep track of individuals across the whole forest (without having to put large numbers of researchers in the field each day.

To hear these creatures yourself, play the video above.

Once thought to be the same species as the Hainan black crested gibbon. It seems that this was an early false belief. This species will be added in the year future (indeed, if I succeed, its page will exist before this article goes live)

Cao Vit gibbon

Cao Vit gibbon

Cao Vit Gibbon

The Cao Vit gibbon is a species found on the border of Vietnam and China. Only thought to number 74 in the wild (and having suffered a loss of 38% of the population in recent years, this is a little known and critically endangered species. Once thought to be a subspecies of the Hainan black crested gibbon, it was found to be far to distinct for this.

Its name is an attempt at mimicking its name.

While in the past it has been hunted, and could be the reason that the population is so low, its biggest threats at the current time, include loss of habitat, and habitat degradation for firewood.

 

 

Any articles on this species will appear below.

 

We also hope to add places for you to see this species in the wild as soon as possible.

Gibbon – Silvery

Silvery gibbon

A wild silvery gibbon

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.

 

Gibbon – Pileated

Pileated Gibbon

This Pileated Gibbon is in a rescue centre, and is hopefully able to return to the wild.
Pileated gibbons live in the forests of Thailand, Western Cambodia and South -Western Laos.

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

 

Gibbon – Northern buffed gibbon

Northern Buffed-cheeked gibbon

This is a newly discovered crested gibbon species which is found inVietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Its habitat is in the humid subtropical and seasonal tropical forests of these countries. 

Northern buffed gibbon

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

 

Gibbon – Lar (also known as White handed) gibbon

Lar gibbons are quite attractive animals. The males and females are different colours.

Lar Gibbon

The Lar gibbon (which is known as the white handed gibbon in some areas). Currently found from Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand. It is also present in the northwest portion of the island of Sumatra. This does give it the largest north south range of any gibbon species. However (as many would expect) that they once had a larger range. Their range historically extended from southwest China to Thailand and Burma. They were also found through the Malay Peninsula in primary and secondary tropical rain forests.  Lar gibbons are likely extinct in China, but if they still exist, they would only be found in southwest Yunnan, their former range.

There are five subspecies of lar gibbon:

  • Malaysian lar gibbon (H. l. lar) 15,000-20,000 
  • Carpenter’s lar gibbon (H. l. carpenteri)
  • Central lar gibbon (H. l. entelloides)
  • Sumatran lar gibbon (H. l. vestitus)
  • Yunnan lar gibbon (H. l. yunnanensis) (possibly extinct, if not under several 10)

 

 

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

 

Gibbon – Kloss gibbon

Kloss gibbon

The Kloss gibbon photo credit Klauss Rudlof

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. .

 

Gibbon – Northern and Southern white cheeked (plus the yellow cheeked gibbon)

Northern White-cheeked gibbon

Northern southern white cheeked gibbon and yellow cheeked gibbon have all been found to be very similar

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.

 

Gibbon – Hoolock – Eastern, Western and Skywalker

Hoolock Gibbon by Dr Raju Kasambe

The Eastern and Western Hoolock gibbon, and the Skywalker gibbon

The Hoolock gibbons are 3 species (currently classified as separate species, lets see if they stay separate).

They are currently found in eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar, and Southwest China. Unfortunately, while in some of these places they have large blocks of forest to live in, in other countries like Bangladesh, the population is split as the forest has been cut into smaller fragmnets, and there is little or no way for the gibbons to cross the deforested areas.

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.
As these are three closely related but separate species, we will include a bar that will show any articles on each one. Hopefully, in the future, there will also be 3 for places to see each of these species as well.

Eastern Hoolock Gibbon​

Western Hoolock Gibbon

Skywalker Gibbon

Gibbon – Black crested (including eastern and hainan)

Black crested gibbon

Black crested gibbon photo credit to Zhao Chao

The black crested gibbon is a species found within China Laos and Northern Vietnam. Currently, there are 4 subspecies which are recognized:

  • Central Yunnan black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis), Yunnan province, China
  • West Yunnan black crested gibbon (N. c. furvogaster), Yunnan province, China
  • Tonkin black crested gibbon (N. c. concolor), northern Vietnam
  • Laotian black crested gibbon (N. c. lu), Laos
Looking at fossils and other remains, it is thought that 1000 years ago, the range of this gibbon covered much of Southern China, up to the Yellow river. Perhaps more research is required, as if all these sub-species are this recent, then it may be worth treating them as one mega population and translocating gibbons between the populations so as to retain genetic health in the greater population. The total population is thought to number 1300-2000 (other estimates put the upper limit at 1500).
 
There are also two species of gibbon that were at once a considered subspecies of the black crested gibbon. While these are now considered separate species, there is still some debate about their classification, and as such, I am going to deal with these separate species within this page as well. These are the 

  • Eastern black crested gibbon
  • Hainan black crested gibbon
Apart from their isolation, and the greater population being stuck in islands of forest, there also appears to be an issue with grey langurs out-competing the gibbons. Whether this is reducing their population or not is not yet known, but having a more varied diet, when times are hard the langurs are more likely to survive

 

 

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

 

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