Giving gibbons a voice to sing again!

The news: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2023/04/03/giving-gibbons-a-voice-to-sing-again/

Excerpts:

RAUB: Deep in the lush forests of Pahang, the rhythmic, soprano-like singing of gibbons may seem natural. However, many will be surprised to learn that these primates are rescued in the midst of rehabilitation and learning to find their voice.

A small patch of land situated along the winding Sungai Liang is home to the Gibbon Conservation Society, an NGO focused on rehabilitating gibbons that were previously kept as pets. Its aim is to one day return these gibbons to the wild.

This is what cruel and greedy poachers do:

Gibbons are considered a “totally protected” species but remain under threat from poachers and traders looking to make a quick buck.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok have become a popular marketplace for the sale of the primates as pets, with a single gibbon fetching from RM2,000 to RM4,000. Brown-furred gibbons, considered rare, will fetch a higher price.

Mariani said poachers and traders would usually target juvenile gibbons and kill their parents and entire family in the process of capturing them in the wild.

Thanks to this centre…

Among the criteria for each gibbon are the ability to brachiate within the enclosure, spending no more than about 5% of their time on the ground daily, and being able to regularly sing in a duet with another gibbon.

Once the seven criteria are met, the gibbons are then released into the wild and will continuously be monitored for a further 24 months.

They will sing their song in the lush green forests of Pahang and remind Mariani of the value of her work.

Please read the whole article and be inspired!