THE STAR
Saturday January 17, 2004
Cousin gibbon full of grace
By Liz Price
Whilst in Phuket, southern Thailand, I thought I’d visit some biological cousins in a rehabilitation sanctuary. I am talking about gibbons, our distant relatives. We humans are classified as primates, the same biological order as the apes, monkeys, tarsiers and lemurs.
We are often amused at the antics of orang utans and chimpanzees in zoos and wildlife parks, as they seem to display human characteristics at times. We often see ourselves reflected in the expressions and movements of these creatures. Gibbons are also apes, but are thought to be less closely related to Man than the other apes.
Gibbons are native to South-East Asia and have a slender body, long arms, and no tail. I have been lucky enough to encounter them in their natural habitat, especially in the forests of Perlis and southern Thailand. It is a delight to see them gracefully swinging through the trees. Their loud ringing call is unique – a long wail rising in irregular swoops through two octaves.
They are mostly arboreal and swing on their arms from branch to branch, a process known as brachiating. However, they can occasionally be seen walking on their hind legs along a branch or on the ground.
It used to be a common sight in Thai bars and clubs in to see gibbons entertain customers. These cuddly creatures are charming but the story of how they got there is distressing. Poachers kill the mother to take the babies. Often, only one will survive the shock, to grow up in an unnatural habitat, where it is often forced to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol to amuse the human spectators.
This solitary, caged existence is a far cry from the family life they would lead in the wild. When a gibbon becomes sexually mature at six or seven years, it may become aggressive. The owners will probably get rid of it then. If they are kept, their canine teeth are often filed down or removed.
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GPR) in Phuket was established in 1992 to save gibbons and their rainforest habitat through rehabilitation and education. This research division of the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation of Thailand lies near the Bang Pae Falls, in the Khao Phra Thaw Royal Wildlife and Forest Reserve.
The GPR works mainly with the white-handed gibbons, the most common of the four species found in Thailand. After quarantine, the gibbons are put through a long rehabilitation period, similar to what orang utans go through at the Sepilok sanctuary in Sabah.
They are encouraged to swing through the trees and eat natural foods. In captivity, they were probably fed on beer and peanuts, rice and sweets.
They have to improve their strength and mobility – some may have never seen a tree – let alone another gibbon. Juveniles are placed together and adults are given the chance to form pairs.
Once the gibbons are well on the way to rehabilitation, they are put in the reserve or in the wild where they learn to survive on their own. Food will still be distributed in decreasing amounts over a period of time until the gibbons learn to fend for themselves. Hopefully. they will survive and repopulate the forest. Continuous research is carried out to assess their progress.
The GPR also conducts an educational programme to teach the local community, foreign tourists, and international students about gibbons. They aim to reduce poaching and deforestation, and, of course, gain support for conservation in Thailand. Visitors are welcome on this 25-minute tour where they can watch the apes from an observation platform.
It is wonderful to know that these cute animals have been saved from a life of misery and are being helped to return to their natural habitat. The centre encourages visitors, and doesn’t charge any entrance fee but does welcome donations as 1,000 baht (RM100) is needed to care for a gibbon for a year.
The Khao Phra Thaw Royal Wildlife and Forest Reserve is marked on tourist maps. From Thalang, take the road east to Bang Rong, and the turn-off is signposted. Most taxi drivers know the centre. If on public transport, it is a 3km walk down the road.
Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
Bang Pae Waterfall
Pa Klock, Talang
Phuket, Thailand
Tel: (076) 260 491-2
Open daily from 10am-noon, 1pm–4pm.
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