Hoolock gibbon
The hoolock gibbons are three primate species of genus Hoolock in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae.
Native to eastern Bangladesh, Northeast India, Myanmar, and Southwest China.
Hoolocks are the second-largest of the gibbons, after the siamang.
Males are black-colored with remarkable white brows, while females have a grey-brown fur, which is darker at the chest and neck.
White rings around their eyes and mouths give their faces a mask-like appearance.
The name "hoolock" is from "a language of Assam."
Distribution in India:
It is the only ape found in India.
In northeast India, the hoolock is found south of Brahmaputra and the North Bank areas and east of the Dibang Rivers.
Its range extends into seven states covering Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura
Behaviour:
Like the other gibbons, they are diurnal and arboreal, brachiating through the trees with their long arms.
Classification:
The species of hoolock are:
Western hoolock gibbon - The species is found in Assam, Mizoram, and Meghalaya in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar west of the Chindwin River.
Classification:
Eastern hoolock gibbon - This species is found in east of the Chindwin River, such as the Mahamyaing Wildlife Sanctuary, and in south west Yunnan of China.
Recent study published in April, 2021, in International Journal of Primatology confirmed that this species is not found in India as it was thought to be.
Skywalker hoolock gibbon - The Skywalker hoolock gibbon can be found in the montane forests of eastern Myanmar and southwestern China.
Concerns:
It is the smallest and fastest ape and is found in tropical and subtropical forests in Southeast Asia
The current conservation status of gibbon species is alarming – all 20 species are at a high risk of extinction.
Since 1900, gibbon distribution and populations have declined dramatically, with only small populations in tropical rainforests.
The hoolock gibbon faces threat primarily from the felling of trees for infrastructure projects.
Global Gibbon Network (GGN) aims to protect and conserve gibbons
COMMENTS