Hainan gibbons fight for survival

This 29 May 2020 video says about itself:

There are only around 30 Hainan gibbon individuals left in the world, but conservationists see a potential future for this animal.

In the 1970s, the Hainan gibbon almost went extinct on Hainan island off the southern tip of China. Habitat destruction and poaching brought populations down to a mere 7-9 individuals.

But a new gibbon couple has given hope for the rarest primate in the world. A male and female were recently heard “dueting”, which signifies their relationship is established, experts say.

Extinct gibbon species discovery in Chinese tomb

This 2011 video is about singing Nomascus gibbons.

By Bruce Bower, 2:00pm, June 21, 2018:

A 2,200-year-old Chinese tomb held a new gibbon species, now extinct

Researchers suspect that humans drove this previously unknown lineage to extinction

A royal crypt from China’s past has issued a conservation alert for apes currently eking out an existence in East Asia.

The partial remains of a gibbon were discovered in 2004 in an excavation of a 2,200- to 2,300-year-old tomb in central China’s Shaanxi Province. Now, detailed comparisons of the animal’s face and teeth with those of living gibbons show that the buried ape is from a previously unknown and now-extinct genus and species, conservation biologist Samuel Turvey and colleagues report in the June 22 Science. His team named the creature Junzi imperialis.

There’s currently no way to know precisely when J. imperialis died out. But hunting and the loss of forests due to expanding human populations likely played big roles in the demise of the ape, the researchers contend.

“Until the discovery of J. imperialis, it was thought that the worrying global decline of apes was a modern-day phenomenon”, says Turvey, of the Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology. “We’re now realizing that there may have been numerous human-caused extinctions of apes and other primates in the past.”

The climate was relatively stable several thousand years ago, and no vertebrate extinctions have been definitively linked to natural climate shifts over the past 10,000 years. So “it is reasonable to conclude that Junzi became extinct as a result of human impacts”, says study coauthor Alejandra Ortiz, a paleoanthropologist at Arizona State University in Tempe.

Historical records indicate that gibbons with features similar to those of J. imperialis, as well as some other distinctive-looking gibbon populations no longer observed in the wild, inhabited central and southern China up to around 300 years ago, the researchers say. Most gibbons today are found in Southeast Asia.

The tomb is thought to have belonged to the grandmother of China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang, who ordered the building of the Great Wall of China and the famous terra-cotta warriors (SN: 9/16/17, p. 19). Twelve pits with animal remains, including those of the gibbon, were found in the crypt. During Qin’s reign and throughout much of Chinese history, gibbons were thought to have noble traits, and royals often acquired gibbons as high-status pets. Ancient Chinese art includes many depictions of gibbons, too.

Turvey’s group compared a 3-D digital reconstruction of the gibbon’s skull, based on its skeletal remains, with 477 skulls from nearly all living species of gibbons and siamangs, a closely related ape. Digital images of the recovered gibbon’s upper and lower molar teeth were compared with 789 molars from 279 present-day gibbon and siamang individuals.

“The science in this paper is strong, but its message for the future of apes and all animals and plants on Earth today is dismal”, says biological anthropologist Brenda Benefit of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. All species of gibbons living today remain imperiled, as do most other primates, due to serious challenges from habitat loss, hunting and the international trade in exotic pets (SN: 3/17/18, p. 10).

While the new report highlights long-standing human threats to gibbons’ survival, the ancient gibbon’s remains may not represent a new genus, holds biological anthropologist Terry Harrison of New York University. A partial skull from a captive ape of unknown geographic origin leaves crucial questions unanswered, including what the creature’s lower body looked like, Harrison says. Relatively complete skeletons of wild gibbons from Chinese sites dating to the past 10,000 years are needed to check the Shaanxi ape’s evolutionary ID, he contends.

See also here.

New ‘Star Wars’ ape species discovered in China

This video from India says about itself:

Conservation of the Eastern Hoolock Gibbon

6 June 2011

Now wouldn’t that call make just the perfect mobile ring tone?

In the jungles of Arunachal Pradesh‘s Mehao national park, Wilderness Films India sent a team to film the Hoolock Gibbon in its natural habitat.

The Hoolock gibbon or Uluk, belongs to the ape family. It is only found in the deciduous forests of China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and India. The average lifespan of these gibbons is thirty years in captivity. A male Hoolock Gibbon is recognized by his black fur and a white strip above his eyes while the female gibbon is recognized by her pale fur with shades of tan.

The gibbons move around by using their arms. They are mostly found in trees and rarely come onto the ground. Hoolock gibbons are primarily omnivorous and consume various types of plants, insects and birds’ eggs. The various activities of the gibbon during the day include feeding, resting, foraging, travelling with the rest of the troupe. They indulge in other activities such as calling for territorial behavior and play. Territories are defended through disputes usually led by the group’s adult male.

Intergroup encounters occur often and usually consist off vocalisation and counter vocalization with the males chasing one another. Grooming is often seen during the group’s social activities and it serves in the maintenance of social bonds. Mating usually occurs during the summer season with births during the winter.

Gestation occurs for around 6-8 months followed by the birth of an offspring. For the first two months, the infants cling on to their mother’s belly. The infant starts showing signs of independence at the age of 6-8 months. However, the bond is so strong between the mother and child that the infant continues to sleep with the mother until the birth of a new infant. The infants emigrate from their group when they become mature adults.

Out of all the gibbons, the Hoolocks have the most haunting call. The calls of these Gibbons are not sex-specific, a fact that differs them from all other species of gibbons. Calls are usually uttered during long call outs or duels and occur mainly in the morning. Once calling commences, call outs are often responded to by other hoolock gibbons throughout the forest. Functions of calling include the maintenance of the pair bond, mate attractions, defense, mate solicitation, territorial reinforcement and the maintenance of social ties.

Some of the proposed steps for conservation of the gibbons are: restoration of degraded landscapes, combining efforts made by the government industry, NGOs and communities in Northeast India. Increasing and nationalizing existing protected area network and protected area management. It is important to ensure the enforcement of these goals for the protection of this incredible species and to prevent them from disappearing from the surface of the earth.

This video was researched by Saurabh Bhatia of The Shri Ram School, Gurgaon, during a summer internship with WFIL, in May-June 2011.

From the BBC:

‘Star Wars gibbon’ is new primate species

By Rebecca Morelle, Science Correspondent, BBC News

4 hours ago

A gibbon living in the tropical forests of south west China is a new species of primate, scientists have concluded.

The animal has been studied for some time, but new research confirms it is different from all other gibbons.

It has been named the Skywalker hoolock gibbon – partly because the Chinese characters of its scientific name mean “Heaven’s movement” but also because the scientists are fans of Star Wars.

The study is published in the American Journal of Primatology.

Dr Sam Turvey, from the Zoological Society of London, who was part of the team studying the apes, told BBC News: “In this area, so many species have declined or gone extinct because of habitat loss, hunting and general human overpopulation.

“So it’s an absolute privilege to see something as special and as rare as a gibbon in a canopy in a Chinese rainforest, and especially when it turns out that the gibbons are actually a new species previously unrecognised by science.”

Hoolock gibbons are found in Bangladesh, India, China and Myanmar. They spend most of their time living in the treetops, swinging through the forests with their forelimbs, rarely spending any time on the ground.

But the research team – led by Fan Peng-Fei from Sun Yat-sen University in China – started to suspect that the animals they were studying in China’s Yunnan Province were unusual.

All hoolock gibbons have white eyebrows and some have white beards – but the Chinese primates’ markings differed in appearance.

Their songs, which they use to bond with other gibbons and to mark out their territory, also had an unusual ring.

So the team carried out a full physical and genetic comparison with other gibbons, which confirmed that the primates were indeed a different species.

They have been given the scientific name of Hoolock tianxing – but their common name is now the Skywalker hoolock gibbon, thanks to the scientists’ taste in films.

Dr Turvey said the team had been studying the animals in the Gaoligongshan nature reserve, but it was not easy.

“It’s difficult to get into the reserve. You have to hike up to above 2,500m to find the gibbons. That’s where the good quality forest usually starts – everywhere below there has been logged.

“Then you have to wake up really early in the morning and you listen out for the haunting song of the gibbons, which carries in the forest canopy.

“And when you hear it, you rush through the mud and the mist, and run for hundreds of metres to try and catch up with these gibbons.”

The researchers estimate that there are about 200 of the Skywalker gibbons living in China – and also some living in neighbouring Myanmar, although the population size there is currently unknown.

The team warns that the primates are at risk of extinction.

“The low number of surviving animals and the threat they face from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and hunting means we think they should be classified as an endangered species,” said Dr Turvey.

In response to the news, actor Mark Hamill – the original Luke Skywalker – said on Twitter that he was so proud to have a new jungle Jedi named after his character.

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Myanmar hoolock gibbons, new research

This video is called Conservation of the Eastern Hoolock Gibbon.

By Frank Momberg today:

Myanmar critical for hoolock gibbon conservation

December 18, 2013

A comprehensive conservation status review of hoolock gibbons in Myanmar has been published by Fauna & Fauna International (FFI), People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) and Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA).

The review, issued through the Gibbon Conservation Alliance, involved three years of nationwide field surveys and threat assessments. Prior to this research, conservation action was constrained by a lack of data on their distribution, population size and threats.

The results of the new research show serious threats and concludes that Myanmar is critical for the survival of both the Eastern and the Western hoolock gibbon. While Western hoolock gibbon populations in India and Bangladesh are severely fragmented, and even more so the Eastern hoolock gibbon populations in China. With 99.9% of Eastern and at least 90% of the Western hoolock total population, Myanmar offers the best chance of survival for both species.

To protect at least one important site for the conservation of each species, FFI, PRCF and BANCA have initiated a community based Western Hoolock Gibbon Project in Pauk Sa Mountain, Rhakine Yoma Range and a collaborative conservation project at Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary, in partnership with the Myanmar Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry. At both sides we have been able to reduce habitat fragmentation and hunting through active engagement of local communities in the protection of gibbons and by providing support for alternative livelihoods.

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Endangered gibbons discovery in Vietnam

This is a video, recorded in Vietnam, about northern white-cheeked crested gibbons and Delacour’s langurs.

From Conservation International:

Largest Population of Critically Endangered Gibbon Discovered in Vietnam

July 18, 2011

Conservation International scientists urge high priority protection for “global stronghold” of threatened primates; only known viable population left worldwide

Pu Mat National Park, Vietnam – Conservation International (CI) has discovered the largest known remaining population of the critically endangered northern white-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys) in Vietnam. Through auditory surveying, a technique which uses the species loud morning calls for identification, CI has confirmed a substantial population of 130 groups (455 animals), making this the highest priority for conservation action for the species globally. (Photos are available for download here.)

This newly censused population represents over two-thirds of the total population of the northern white-cheeked crested gibbon in Vietnam and is the only confirmed viable population of this species left worldwide. Historically distributed in China, Vietnam and Laos, this highly threatened primate is believed to be functionally extinct in China and the species situation is largely unknown in Laos, due to a lack of research, although significant numbers may still persist.

Dr. Russell A. Mittermeier, Chair of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and President of Conservation International, said: “All of the world’s 25 different gibbons are threatened, and none more so than the Indochinese crested gibbons, eight of which, including the northern white-cheeked gibbon, are now on the brink of extinction. This is an extraordinarily significant find, and underscores the immense importance of protected areas in providing the last refuges for the region’s decimated wildlife”.

Work carried out by CI over the past three years within the species fragmented distribution in north-central Vietnam had until now returned sobering results, with no population larger than a dozen groups found. In 2010, the area of focus was changed to Pu Mat National Park, where CI and the park staff, with support from Fauna & Flora International, Arcus Foundation and Sprague-Nowak SE Asia Biodiversity Initiative, used auditory sampling techniques to research this area.

Gibbons are territorial and communicate their boundaries with loud, elaborate and prolonged vocalizations (listen and download audio file at the bottom of this press release). By recording these songs, data was gathered on the gibbon groups in the surveyed area and used to determine group numbers across the park. This relict population was discovered in remote, dense forest, at high altitudes on the Vietnam-Laos border, where they have been isolated from human populations. This latest discovery gives great hope for the future of this beautiful and unique primate.

However, road development in this area pose a serious threat to the gibbon’s future, as this global stronghold has persisted because of the remoteness of the habitat. These roads, designed to increase border patrols between Vietnam and Laos, will cut directly through the gibbon’s habitat. This could have catastrophic effects on this population, as the roads will fragment the habitat and provide access for illegal and harmful activities such as hunting and logging. Without protection this will inevitably lead to a decline in this last option for this species to exist in the wild in Vietnam.

Ben Rawson, regional primate expert for Conservation International, who has led the gibbon research project, explained: “We are extremely excited about this discovery. Pu Mat was already important for its great diversity of species and for its benefits to the surrounding communities, and now it is a top priority for global gibbon conservation.”

Rawson continued, “The fact that we are excited about the discovery of only 130 groups of northern white-cheeked crested gibbons is indicative of the state of this species and crested gibbons generally; they are some of the most endangered species in the world. It’s important to remember though that conservation in Pu Mat National Park is vital not just for biodiversity, but for its benefits to people also as this is a watershed which provides water for 50,000 people vital for drinking and agriculture.”

Primatologist Luu Tuong Bach, a consultant to CI, who led field surveys, added: “‘We don’t think we can stop the roads, so the best solution is targeted gibbon protection in key areas for this population. The major issue will be the hunting of these gibbons that were previously protected by the harsh terrain; so gun control will be vital. Without direct protection in Pu Mat National Park, it is likely that Vietnam will lose this species in the near future.”

Species facts:

White-cheeked gibbons eat mostly fruit, leaves, buds and flowers, occasionally feeding on eggs, young birds and insects. These lesser apes move and feed primarily in the tropical forest canopy, rarely descending to the ground.

Gibbons, called the smaller apes, differ from the great apes, as they smaller, have low sexual dimorphism and do not make nests. They are among the 6% of primates that form monogamous pairs which mate for life. They are the most romantic primate, singing to attract a partner, and to maintain their pair bonds they also sing to each other.

Vietnam holds six species of gibbons of the crested gibbon genus Nomascus. They comprise some of the most highly threatened primates in the world. There may be as few as 200 groups of northern white-cheeked crested gibbon left in Vietnam. An ongoing status assessment of Vietnam’s gibbons conducted by Conservation International and Fauna & Flora international shows that there have been precipitous declines in gibbon numbers across the country in the last 25 years. This has mainly been driven by land-use change, namely conversion of habitat, and hunting pressure for local consumption, the pet trade and assumed medicinal value of primate body parts.

Gibbons are highly arboreal and move by brachiation, and with their long arms and short legs, swinging from handhold to handhold under branches and vines, using their long fingers as hooks.

Photos are here.

Gibbon call: listen here.

A new report assessing the status of Vietnam’s gibbons shows that immediate conservation intervention is needed to prevent their extinction: here.

Ha Giang province, in the remote Northern Highlands of Vietnam, is home to the world’s largest known population of Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys. The word ‘largest’ is something of a misnomer, given the total population stands at no more than 90 individuals, but an increase in numbers is now looking more positive, due to an agreement between key stakeholders. The main stakeholders of the Khau Ca Tonkin Snub-nosed Monkey Species and Habitat Conservation Area have reached agreement on collaborating on a common agenda to conserve the threatened primate within its habitat. The agreement has for the time being only been captured in a District Regulation, but is expected to receive formal provincial approval, once the document has been field trialed for a preliminary three month period: here.