Western Hoolock Gibbon

While not widely featured in commercial or culinary contexts, the Western hoolock gibbon holds cultural value in its native regions, occasionally appearing in local folklore and traditional beliefs. It is also regarded as an ecological flagship species, symbolizing the health of forest ecosystems.

• Marked sexual dimorphism in fur coloration distinguishes males and females.
• Known for elaborate, loud duets between mated pairs.
• Has no tail, consistent with all apes.
• Lives up to 25–30 years in the wild.
• Listed as Endangered due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

Preferring contiguous, mature evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, the Western hoolock gibbon also inhabits secondary and riverine forests within its range across northeastern India, Bangladesh, and western Myanmar. Its survival depends on large, undisturbed forest tracts.

This species typically forms monogamous pairs that occupy stable territories. These family groups include the mated pair and their offspring, reflecting a social system centered on pair bonding and territorial defense.

While specific dietary details are limited, like other gibbons, the Western hoolock gibbon is primarily frugivorous, feeding on a variety of fruits, supplemented by leaves and other plant materials found in its forest habitat.

Classified as Endangered, the Western hoolock gibbon faces significant threats from habitat fragmentation and deforestation, with a low tolerance for disturbed environments. Conservation efforts focus on protecting contiguous forest habitats and regulating trade, with the species listed on CITES Appendix I prohibiting international trade.

The genus Hoolock diverged from other gibbons approximately 3 to 4 million years ago. Genetic studies support its distinct species status within the family Hylobatidae, contributing valuable insights into gibbon evolutionary history and diversity.