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A family of endangered hoolock gibbons, consisting of an adult male, adult female, and juvenile, was rescued after a four-day operation in Horu Pahar village, Lower Dibang Valley district, Arunachal Pradesh.
About Hoolock gibbons
- Hoolock gibbons are the only ape species found in India, primarily in the northeastern states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and others, inhabiting tropical and subtropical forests with dense canopies.​
- They are medium-sized, measuring 60-90 cm in length and weighing 6-9 kg, with males entirely black and prominent white brows, while females have grey-brown fur darker on the chest and neck, featuring white eye and mouth rings for a mask-like face.​
- Diurnal and arboreal, they brachiate swiftly through trees at speeds up to 55 km/h using long arms, rarely descending to the ground except during territorial disputes.​
- Monogamous and territorial, they live in small family units (pair plus offspring), communicating via loud duet songs to locate members and defend ranges of 8-63 hectares.​
- Diet mainly includes ripe fruits, leaves, flowers, shoots, insects, and occasionally eggs; gestation lasts 7 months, young are born buff-colored (males darken at 6 months, females later), reaching maturity at 8-9 years with a wild lifespan of 25 years.​
- Conservation status: Western Hoolock Gibbon is Endangered (IUCN), Eastern Vulnerable; both on Schedule I of India's Wildlife Protection Act 1972; threats include habitat loss and predators like leopards, pythons.​
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