thailand
How can you help save gibbons?
What did I know about gibbons before visiting the gibbon rehabilitation center?
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Just like about Cambodia — absolutely nothing.
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It turned out that gibbons are not lizards, but a type of monkey. To be more precise, they are not even monkeys, but primates with a human-like shape (in English, they are referred to as apes, not monkeys).
The fascinating thing about gibbons is that they exhibit behaviors remarkably similar to humans. The babies are extremely attached to their mothers, lack a tail, and even sing!
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Just like about Cambodia — absolutely nothing.
⠀
It turned out that gibbons are not lizards, but a type of monkey. To be more precise, they are not even monkeys, but primates with a human-like shape (in English, they are referred to as apes, not monkeys).
The fascinating thing about gibbons is that they exhibit behaviors remarkably similar to humans. The babies are extremely attached to their mothers, lack a tail, and even sing!
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Gibbons are known for residing in the uppermost parts of trees and primarily subsist on fruits and leaves. However, they occasionally consume super rare bird and insect eggs.
Why do gibbons need a rehabilitation center?
In South Asia, gibbons are used as bait for tourists, even though it's not legal. The familiar phrase "take a picture with a monkey" is most often referring to a baby gibbon. Poachers deceive people with tearful stories that the mother abandoned the poor baby and that they saved its life. However, this is actually a lie.
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The reality is that poachers take advantage of the fact that gibbon babies stay with their mothers for up to a year. During hunting, they target the female gibbons. Adult gibbons are killed while attempting to protect their babies, resulting in the babies falling from trees and sustaining injuries.
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If a baby gibbon survives, it is then sent to work in a bar, where tourists take pictures with them all night. Often, gibbons are given alcohol to observe their reactions, and this happens regularly. Additionally, since babies naturally sleep at night, they are given drugs to keep them awake during nighttime.
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Gibbon babies are exploited for up to 4-5 years. By this age, their fangs grow in, they develop a loud voice, and they become aggressive, scaring tourists. Such gibbons are frequently killed or abandoned on the streets, leading to their demise.
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The reality is that poachers take advantage of the fact that gibbon babies stay with their mothers for up to a year. During hunting, they target the female gibbons. Adult gibbons are killed while attempting to protect their babies, resulting in the babies falling from trees and sustaining injuries.
⠀
If a baby gibbon survives, it is then sent to work in a bar, where tourists take pictures with them all night. Often, gibbons are given alcohol to observe their reactions, and this happens regularly. Additionally, since babies naturally sleep at night, they are given drugs to keep them awake during nighttime.
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Gibbon babies are exploited for up to 4-5 years. By this age, their fangs grow in, they develop a loud voice, and they become aggressive, scaring tourists. Such gibbons are frequently killed or abandoned on the streets, leading to their demise.
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Rehabilitating gibbons is extremely challenging. It is not as simple as confiscating a gibbon from a poacher and releasing it into the jungle. These individuals often do not survive due to mental or health disorders.
How to be "a cake"?
DO NOT TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS of gibbons.
If there is no demand, it will be unprofitable for poachers to engage in this activity.
