Gibbons In The Primate Family

There is one animal in the primate family that has several distinct characteristics unique to that species. This is known as the Gibbon Ape. Gibbons are “endangered, small apes, that are known as the world’s greatest acrobats” (Gibbon Center, 2012). According to Enchanted Learning (1999), “gibbons’ lightweight appearance consists of a small, round head, very long arms, and a short, slender body’’ (Enchanted Learning, 1999). Although they do not look like humans, gibbons have senses very similar to ours including “hearing, sight, color vision, smell, taste, and touch” (Enchanted Learning, 1999). Gibbons’ long arms are complete with sturdy rotary cup shoulder joints, which enables gibbons to “swing long distances in trees from branch to branch …show more content…
Rain forests populated with many gibbons are generally found in Southeast, South, and East Asia (Gibbon Center, 2012). Yet, their habitat, along with many other things, plays a role in their endangerment. According to the website Humania (2010), “In 50 years, 50% of Indonesia’s forested land has disappeared; every minute, the equivalent of two football fields of forest is destroyed. If this trend were to continue, Indonesia’s rain forests will disappear entirely in just over twenty years. Because of this, the future of gibbons is threatened’’ (Humania, 2010). As Susan Lappan and Danielle Whittaker wrote about in their book, The Gibbons: New Perspectives on Small Ape Socioecology and Population Biology, “There are up to 16 recognized species of gibbons, and half of them are critically endangered while all are experiencing some level of threat” (Lappan and Wittaker, 2007). “For a long time, gibbons were victims of hunters who trapped them for their meat and fur. Hunting and deforestation have also contributed to gibbons’ population decline. Today, illegally hunting and catching, or poaching, continues to be common in many parts of Asia” (Humania, 2010). “Compared to their cousins, the great apes, one could refer to a gibbon as the neglected ape” (Lappan and Wittaker, …show more content…
The Conservation Center was established in 1976 by its founder, Alan Richard Mootnick, and is still in existence today (Gibbon Center, 2012). Gibbons are “known to have a lifespan of about 40-50 years in captivity, rather than the 30-35 years they would be living if they were in the wild” (Gibbon Center, 2012). The Conservation Center helps to assist with rescue programs in the habitats where many gibbons are found. (Gibbon Center, 2012). The Conservation Center, in its effort to help save the gibbons, “has been successful in reproducing seven gibbon species” (Gibbon Center, 2012). The Conservation Center is the “only institution in the world to house and breed all four genera of gibbon” (Gibbon Center, 2012). Today, the Conservation Center offers educational opportunities for students and any age group that comes to visit (Gibbon Center,