Rare Hoolock gibbon released into Kaziranga National Park – pairs up with wild male

June 2008. In a remarkable development that might provide the strategy for the management of single gibbons living without mates in Assam, the Forest Department, Assam in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India, united a captive-reared female gibbon 'Siloni' with a wild male living in the Panbari Reserve Forests, near Kaziranga National Park.

Within five minutes of the enclosure gate being opened, Siloni ventured out for her first ever feel of the wilderness. She has been living for more than four months in a large enclosure suspended under the canopy of a Ficus tree. The wild male has been frequenting the cage since day one, and of late even mating with the captive female through the enclosure mesh. Soon after her release, Siloni was happy to explore the forests with the wild male who has been waiting for her freedom.

'Siloni' was less than a year old when rescued in 2003 and has since then been living without a mate at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) with the support of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and Animal Welfare Division, Government of India.

The hoolock gibbon

The hoolock gibbon (Bunopithecus hoolock) is an endangered species listed in the Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972). The survival of the species is threatened due to habitat loss, hunting and illegal trade. Habitat fragmentation has forced many gibbons in Assam to live in isolation, often without a mate. These gibbon populations living in fragmented forest patches may not be able to survive as a self-sustainable population for long. One possible solution for solitary males and females is to relocate, acclimatize and releasing them after ensuring that pairing has taken place.

CWRC is a joint initiative of Assam Forest Department, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and its international partner, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).