A stranded family of Hoolock Gibbons has been rescued from an agricultural field in the Lower Dibang Valley district. Due to a lack of a continuous canopy, the arboreal apes were being forced to descend to the ground.
About Hoolock Gibbon:
- Also known as Lesser apes, Hoolock Gibbon is India’s only ape species.
- They are the smallest and fastest of all ape species.
- They are one of the 20 gibbon species found worldwide.
- In India, two species are found:
- Eastern Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys)
- Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock)
- Habitat:
- Western Hoolock Gibbon – tropical evergreen rainforests, tropical evergreen, and semi-evergreen forests.
- Eastern Hoolock Gibbon – Evergreen, scrub & semi-deciduous forests, mountainous broadleaf & pine forests.
- Their distribution: India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Southern China.
- In India – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur.
Conservation status:
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- IUCN Red List Status:
- Western Hoolock Gibbon – Endangered
- Eastern Hoolock Gibbon – Vulnerable
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 – Schedule I
- Both are in CITES Appendix II
Threats to Hoolock Gibbon:
- Habitat fragmentation due to deforestation
- Population decline
- Conservation challenge
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Prelims MCQ:
Which of the following statements about the Hoolock Gibbon are correct?
- The Hoolock Gibbon is India’s only ape species.
- The Western Hoolock Gibbon is found in tropical evergreen rainforests and semi-evergreen forests.
- The Eastern Hoolock Gibbon is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- The Hoolock Gibbon is found in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Southern China.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
A) 1, 2, and 4 only
B) 1, 2, and 3 only
C) 1, 2, and 4 only
D) 1, 3, and 4 only
Answer:
A) 1, 2, and 4 only
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