Native to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Siamang gibbons are an endangered species. Yet this does not stop poachers from capturing these gibbons to be sold as part of the illegal pet trade. The enchanting singing these primates are known for makes them especially in demand. Indeed, the illegal pet trade and habitat loss are […]
Tag: gibbon
Deforestation intensifies in northern Malaysia’s most important water catchment
Spanning more than 1,600 square kilometers (620 square miles), the Ulu Muda rainforest is one of the last large, continuous tracts of forest in the Malay Peninsula, and provides vital habitat for countless species as well as water for millions of people in northern Malaysia. But deforestation, due in large part to logging, is threatening […]
Can manmade rope bridges offer relief for the world’s rarest primate – the Hainan gibbon? A new study shows promise.
The Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) is described as “The world’s most critically endangered primate.” In fact, its numbers are said to be much lower than any other primate on Earth. It’s found in just a single block of forest on Hainan Island, China, and nowhere else. Like so many similar creatures, it travels through the […]
POLL: Should the wildlife trade on Facebook be stopped?
From the Malayan sun bear to a blood python, Malaysians seem to have found a booming marketplace for wild animals on Facebook. Much of this online trade is carried out in closed Facebook groups, and involves live, high-profile and threatened species for which trade is strictly prohibited in Peninsular Malaysia, a five-month investigation by wildlife […]
Hainan gibbon decline charted in Chinese records
Historical Chinese documents have helped scientists to track the decline of the world’s rarest primates. Today, China has between 26 and 28 Hainan gibbons left, but government records that date back to the 17th Century show that gibbons were once widespread across half of the country. The apes began to disappear from the documents about […]