A report by the Wildlife Institute of India states that the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam has been cut off from the surrounding forest areas, making it a forest island.The report has been presented by Rohit Ravindra Samita Jha and Gopi Govindan Veeraswamy of Dehradun-based WII, Dilip Chhetri of Assam-based biodiversity conservation group Aaranyak and Nanda Kumar of Assam’s environment and forest department.In the report, Guwahati primatologists have suggested rerouting a 1.65 km long railway track that has divided the eastern Assam sanctuary dedicated to the western Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock-Hoolock) into two unequal parts. Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, formerly known as Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, is located in Assam’s Jorhat district, India.Established in 1997, it boasts a rich biodiversity, housing India’s only gibbons, the western Hoolock hoolock, and the Bengal slow loris, the sole nocturnal primate in Northeastern India.
Hoolock Gibbons
- Hoolock Gibbons, known as the smallest and fastest of all apes, inhabit tropical and subtropical forests in Southeast Asia.
- They have high intelligence, distinct personalities, and strong family bonds similar to other apes.
- They represent one of the 20 gibbon species found worldwide.
- Hoolock Gibbons are India’s only ape species.
Gibbon Species in India
Western Hoolock Gibbon
- It inhibits in all the states of the north-east, restricted between the south of the Brahmaputra River and east of the Dibang River. Outside India, it is found in eastern Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar.
- International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List (IUCN): Endangered
Eastern Hoolock Gibbon
- It inhabits specific pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India, and in southern China and north-east Myanmar outside India.
- IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
- In India, both species are listed on Schedule 1 of the Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act 1972.
Characteristics
- They are known for their distinct white eyebrows, long arms, and a throat sac used for vocalizations.
- Arboreal Lifestyle:
- Gibbons are exclusively arboreal, spending their lives in the treetops of tropical forests.
Challenges
- Hoolock gibbons are particularly sensitive to habitat disruptions, such as canopy gaps.
- Fragmentation of their habitat can lead to genetic isolation and threaten their populations.
Conservation Efforts
- Initiatives like artificial canopy bridges aim to facilitate their movement and preserve genetic diversity.
- Gibbons play a vital role in forest ecosystems by dispersing seeds as they travel through the canopy.
- Their conservation is essential for maintaining the health and biodiversity of their habitats.