Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: IE
Context: Assam’s wildlife department has recommended forest clearance for Vedanta’s oil and gas exploration project in the eco-sensitive zone of the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, citing national interest.
The project, in the habitat of endangered Hoolock Gibbons and wild elephants, involves diverting over 4 hectares of forest land. Conditions include preventing pollution and managing risks like oil leaks and gas explosions. The proposal is pending with the Union Environment Ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee.
Key Facts about Hoolock Gibbon:
Facts | Description
About | Gibbons, the smallest and fastest of all apes, inhabit tropical and subtropical forests in Southeast Asia. They have high intelligence, distinct personalities, and strong family bonds. They are one of the 20 gibbon species found worldwide.
Population and Habitat | The current population of hoolock gibbons is around 12,000. They are found in Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Southern China.
Gibbon Species in India | Two distinct species in India’s northeast: the eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) and the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock).
Threats | All 20 gibbon species, including hoolock gibbons, are at high risk of extinction due to conservation challenges. Significant population and habitat decline due to deforestation for infrastructure projects in India.
Conservation Status | International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List: Western Hoolock Gibbon: Endangered; Eastern Hoolock Gibbon: Vulnerable. Both species are listed on Schedule 1 of the Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act 1972.
| The Global Gibbon Network (GGN) recently convened its inaugural meeting in Haikou, China’s Hainan province, to address its critical situation. The GGN was initiated at the International Gibbon Day 2020 event, with representatives from 20 gibbon conservation organizations.
About Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary | The Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, formerly known as the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary or Hollongapar Reserved Forest, is an isolated evergreen forest in Assam, India. Established in 1997, the sanctuary was initially set aside in 1881, with its forests once extending to the Patkai mountain foothills. It is home to India’s only ape and gibbon species, the hoolock gibbons, and the Bengal slow loris, Northeastern India’s only nocturnal primate. The forest’s upper canopy is dominated by hollong trees, the middle by nahar trees, and the lower by evergreen shrubs and herbs.