Sanders Page -Our Close Relatives

...our close relatives.

THE WHITE HANDED

or LAR GIBBON (Hylobates Lar)

The Lar Gibbon is listed as Appendix I of CITES

(Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna).

The highest category and an official recognition of the threatened status of this lesser primate.

The gibbon, of which there are 9 different species, is remarkable in that it is the only member of the ape family to "pair bond". Meaning that a male and a female will select each other and remain together throughout their lives raising on average only one young every four years.

A family of two adults and their dependent offspring will maintain a territory in the tropical rain forests where they live and feed in the forest canopy. Gibbons are renowned for their skill at "braichiating", a method of locomotion that involves swinging from branch to branch with remarkable agility and speed. A perfect adaptation to a life spent almost entirely off the ground and in the forest canopy.

As with all large tropical rain forest mammals, they play a fundamental role in the health of the forest, encouraging the growth of many species of vegetation.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVATION AND THE LAR GIBBON

The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project goals are primarily the rehabilitation of illegally held pet and bar gibbons with the goal of a full reintroduction to a island reserve.

Aside from the urgent need for this work, we hope that we will bring to the public's attention the importance of this species as a whole and why it is vital that we protect and respect the Gibbon and it's habitat.

Over the last ten years Lar gibbon populations have fallen by 20% and unless immediate action is taken to protect the gibbons rain forest home and ensure that Thailand's laws pertaining to wildlife are strictly adhered to, the future for this species is bleak.

The gibbon is what is known as an "indicator species". This means that the state of a gibbon population within a forest habitat, is a reliable indication as to the likely future of the forest itself and all it's animal and plant inhabitants.

Although Thailand still possess forest strongholds that support Lar gibbons populations, the trend is towards a reduction of habitat. Phuket itself until recently in the Khao Phra Thaew Royal Wildlife and Forest Reserve maintained a population of Lar gibbons.

Tragically these animals have now disappeared with no likelihood of returning. The island has lost both financially, in that the reserve is a less interesting site to visit, and culturally in that a part of Thailand's richness has been lost to this area fervor.

Gibbons are part of the ape family and are therefore our close relatives.

Much has yet to be learned about their behavior and their relationship with the rain forests. Yet these valuable animals will soon disappear if we do not take action to ensure their survival, and a vitally important clue to our own past is lost.

The Bang Pae Waterfall Project hopes to stop the exploitation of the Lar gibbon in bars and the illegal pet trade and to explain the relevance of the gibbon and it's habitat to our visitors.

Every gibbon here has been needlessly taken out of the wild and every gibbon here has been taken in a manner (the shooting of their mother, the death of infants by neglect and ignorance etc.) that on average has involved the deaths of up to ten individual gibbons.

We hope to undo some of the damage already done and we hope to put an end to one of the several aspects that endanger this animal. Thailand has passed a law in 1992 that outlaws the possession of a protected wild animal, and our aim is to support this legislation.

Please help our Gibbon Rehabilitation Project,

it's work at Bang Pae Waterfall,

and the island release sites.

This Project is funded by donation alone and can only continue it's work by public support.

If you are able please make a donation and help the project continue it's work into the future contact the project directly at:

Gibbon Project Phuket Thailand

Tel: (66 76) 260492

Fax: 260491

gibbon@samart.co.th

Remember no matter where you travel or where you live. We need your help in stopping the problem of gibbon protection at it's source.

If you see a gibbon in a bar encourage the owner to refuse service to that customer.

Refuse to have your photograph taken with any wild animal.

Do not buy any wild animal offered to you as a pet.

Support forest reserves Everywhere.

To visit our web site sponsor Experience Amsterdam.com