Assam spearheaded the global celebration of International Gibbon Day, turning the spotlight on the endangered Western Hoolock Gibbon (locally known as the Holou Bandor), India’s only native ape species.
The primary state-level celebrations unfolded across a two-day event in the Barekuri region of Tinsukia district. This venue holds immense cultural significance; Prime Minister Narendra Modi previously praised the local community's unique coexistence with the dwindling gibbon population.
Organized by the state government in tandem with the prominent biodiversity non-profit Aaranyak, the events included educational seminars, community plantation drives, and local school outreach programs.
The primary challenges highlighted this year are habitat loss and acute forest fragmentation. Prime habitats like the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary remain heavily isolated by surrounding tea estates and structural disruptions like railway tracks.
"Gibbons are the literal voices of our forests," noted a lead wildlife scientist during the celebrations. "Securing canopy connectivity, such as our newly recorded artificial railway crossings, and actively involving local youth are our ultimate shields against the threat of localized extinction."
Conservationists capitalized on the global day to petition for stricter restrictions against industrial expansions near designated wildlife zones, ensuring the "singers of the jungle" do not fall silent.