Global Gibbon Network (GGN)

Context:  Recently, the first meeting of the Global Gibbon Network (GGN) was held in Haikou, China which discussed the conservation status of India’s only ape. About Hoolock Gibbon:

• Gibbons are the smallest and fastest of all apes.
• The hoolock gibbon is one of 20 species of apes and is the only ape found in India.
• Habitat: They live in tropical and subtropical forests in the southeastern part of Asia.
• Population: The estimated population of hoolock gibbons is 12,000. 
• Threats: Felling of trees for infrastructure projects.
• The Hoolock Gibbon is categorized into two types:
  • Both species are protected under the Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act of 1972 and included in Schedule 1.

Western Hoolock Gibbon	Eastern Hoolock Gibbon
It inhabits all the states of the north-east, restricted between the south of the Brahmaputra River and east of the Dibang river. And outside India, it is found in eastern Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar. Majority of Gibbons found in India belong to Western species. Conservation Status:  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Endangered	It inhabits specific pockets of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India, and in southern China and north-east Myanmar outside India. Conservation Status:  IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

Study on Gibbons: 

• American naturalist R. Harlan was the first to describe the hoolock gibbon, characterised by their vigorous vocal displays, from Assam in 1834. 
• Over the decades, zoologists thought the northeast housed two species of the ape — the eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) found in a specific region of Arunachal Pradesh and the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) distributed elsewhere in the northeast.
• A study led by Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in 2021 proved there is only one species of ape in India.
  • It debunked earlier research that the eastern hoolock gibbon was a separate species based on the colour of its coat.

About Global Gibbon Network (GGN):

• Novel initiative: In 2020, the International Gibbon Day (celebrated on 24th october) event brought together representatives from 20 gibbon conservation organizations. During this event, they launched the Global Gibbon Conservation Network Initiative.
• GGN: The initiative aimed to establish a Global Gibbon Network (GGN) and urged worldwide collaboration for gibbon conservation.
• Organized by: Hainan Institute of National Parks and Eco Foundation Global.
• Aim: To protect and preserve Asia’s unique heritage, specifically the singing Gibbon and their habitats, by promoting participatory conservation policies, legislations and actions.

News Source: The Hindu