Eighth eastern hoolock gibbons relocated

GUWAHATI: A family of the endangered eastern hoolock gibbons has been captured from a fragmented habitat and released in a more viable location at Mehao wildlife sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh.

This was the eighth such relocation of eastern hoolock gibbons at the wildlife sanctuary.

The family of three gibbons was spotted by villagers at Dello village who immediately informed the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI) team and the state forest department.

The gibbons had apparently been under a lot of stress after being marooned on an isolated cluster of trees and were being attacked by dogs as they tried to move out of the area.

They were then captured from the village by the IFAW-WTI team, in collaboration with the forest department, and released on Thursday.

"This capture by the IFAW-WTI team happened in very little time and the release was also carried out successfully," divisional forest officer of Mehao wildlife division Keijum Rina said.

Executive director of Research Institute of World's Ancient Traditions Cultures Heritage ( RIWATCH) Vijay Swami, who was present during the capture and subsequent release, said, "It was a very different experience for me witnessing the successful translocation of a gibbon family. I am happy to see the family accepting the new habitat and eating food and howling," he said.

The IFAW-WTI Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Project, a leg of the Dibang Valley Conservation Project, was kick- started in November 2011, when a family of two gibbons had been translocated to Mehao WLS, after 20 stranded families had been identified in the village of Dello.

Hoolock gibbons (Hoolock leuconedys) are the only apes found in India, with their distribution restricted to northeast India.