ASIA : SPECIES SPOTLIGHT
SPECIES AT RISK : LAR GIBBON
ASIA
TOP : LAR GIBBON BY CELSO DINIZ / SHUTTERSTOCK ; RIGHT : LAR GIBBON BY TEEKAYU / SHUTTERSTOCK
The Endangered Lar Gibbon or White-handed Gibbon is so named because its sandy-to-dark brown / black colored fur is offset by white-furred hands and feet , and a distinctive ring of white hair surrounds its black face . They are relatively small compared to other apes , weighing from 15-16 pounds , but they have longer forelimbs in relation to their hind limbs than other species .
Lar Gibbons live in family units in the upper canopy of rainforests , moving swiftly through the trees by brachiating — swinging from tree to tree — and rarely coming to the ground . Like most species of gibbon , they eat fruit , ( mainly figs ), tree shoots , leaves and flowers and insects .
Family groups are highly territorial , strategically gathering each morning at the edges of their territory to ward off other groups of gibbons with loud calls unique to their own species and to specific breeding pairs that can be heard a mile away . They have evolved complex songs to interact with their neighbors and announce predators , with sharper “ notes ” being heard in songs of warning .
The greatest threat to Lar Gibbons is hunting for bushmeat and for the illegal pet trade . They are also highly threatened by land clearing for human activities . Such deforestation leads to a vicious cycle of increased access by hunters to habitat deeper in the forest .
Historically , the Lar Gibbon ’ s range extended from China to the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia . Today , the species survives in fragmented habitat in southern and southeast Asia , including in Sumatra , Indonesia , where Rainforest Trust and our partner Forum Konservasi Leuser ( FKL ) are protecting 4,000 acres of vital wildlife habitat in the biodiverse Leuser Ecosystem .
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