Hoolock gibbons  (Hoolock hoolock and Hoolock leuconedys)

The main threat to these species is habitat destruction and fragmentation due to shifting cultivation, development of tea plantations and logging. Hunting is also a serious pressure on hoolock gibbon populations, as local people prize gibbon meat and bones for food and use in traditional medicine (4). There have been reports of intense hunting occurring in Assam in recent years, which is one of the main areas where the hoolock gibbon is found (6).

These rare and endangered primates do occur in the protected areas of Blaphakram and Namdapha National Parks in India. In other areas of their range the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has recommended stronger legislation against hunting, and protection against deforestation in game reserves. Local environmental education has also been proposed as a method of raising awareness of the hoolock gibbons’ listing as threatened species (6). These primates are territorial and depend on large areas of forest for survival. It is therefore imperative to protect large areas of forest from the pressures of human encroachment to allow these fantastic apes a chance of survival (7).