Adopt a Gibbon

Gibbons are vanishing from Asia’s forests. Every one of the world’s 20 gibbon species is threatened with extinction, this means that gibbons are one of the most endangered families of primates on Earth.

Found only in South and Southeast Asia, gibbons are losing their forest homes to agriculture, development and other human activity. Because they spend almost their entire lives in the canopy, even small breaks between forests can prevent them from travelling safely, finding mates and maintaining healthy populations.

Hunting and the illegal pet trade place them under further pressure, with young gibbons taken from the wild and sold into captivity.

How your gibbon adoption helps overseas

Many gibbons arriving at The Aspinall Foundation’s rehabilitation centres have been rescued from the illegal pet trade.

Each animal receives specialist care, an appropriate diet and opportunities to socialise or form a pair. Suitable gibbons then spend time in forest habituation enclosures, helping them prepare for life in the wild.

More than 50 Javan gibbons have already been returned to protected forests through the programme. The Foundation has also established a rehabilitation programme for siamangs in South Sumatra, which has now released its first rescued animals.

Strengthening wild populations

For many years, a species-specific strain of hepatitis B prevented UK-born Javan gibbons from returning to Indonesia.

Research supported by The Aspinall Foundation found that the same strain occurred naturally in wild Javan gibbons and was not generally associated with illness, helping to remove this barrier.

Suitable captive-born gibbons can now travel to Indonesia for rehabilitation and, where appropriate, release. This gives them the opportunity to form families, introduce valuable new bloodlines and help strengthen wild populations.

Adopt a gibbon with The Aspinall Foundation and help us rescue primates from the illegal pet trade, return suitable animals to the wild and support stronger populations for the future.

Fun facts about gibbons

• Gibbons are classed as apes, not monkeys, and they do not have tails.
• They travel through the canopy using a form of movement called brachiation, swinging hand over hand with their long arms. Some can cover a distance of around ten metres between branches.
• Their long arms, hook-like hands and highly flexible shoulder joints make them perfectly adapted to life in the trees.
• Gibbons use complex songs to communicate, defend their territories and maintain social bonds. Their calls can travel for miles through the forest.
• Siamangs are the largest members of the gibbon family. They have inflatable throat sacs that amplify their calls and can expand to around the size of a grapefruit.
• Most gibbons live in small family groups, although their relationships and group structures can vary between species.
• Javan gibbons are unusual because males and females do not perform the elaborate duets heard in many other gibbon species. The female is usually the main singer.
• Gibbons eat large amounts of fruit and disperse seeds as they travel, helping to maintain and regenerate healthy forests.