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International Gibbon Day 2026 highlights threats to northeast India’s only ape

International Gibbon Day 2026 highlights threats to northeast India’s only ape

Assam rallied to protect the western hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape, during International Gibbon Day 2026. The annual observance focused on survival challenges confronting these endangered primates in northeast India. The Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam serves as a vital habitat for the species, which faces severe risks from habitat loss, forest fragmentation, deforestation, infrastructure development, and illegal wildlife trade. Established in 2015, the annual event aims to draw attention to the protection of small apes and their natural environments. The observance featured the theme “The forest has a voice, can you hear it?”, emphasizing the need to safeguard forests and the wildlife dependent upon them. Native to tropical and subtropical forests, gibbons perform essential ecological functions by dispersing seeds and supporting forest regeneration, alongside their complex social behaviour and distinctive calls. Conservation initiatives centre on protecting forest habitats and mitigating threats across the range of these primates. Readers can support conservation efforts by raising public awareness about gibbon protection and habitat preservation.

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From the Library

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    Official Release

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