Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand December 2014 / January 2015 | Page 45
Life & Travel
rehabilitate white-handed gibbons
back into their natural habitat.
THERE ARE SEVERAL
WAYS TO HELP
GRP DIRECTLY
AND INDIRECTLY:
1. Do not purchase gibbons, or products derived from gibbons
2. Do not take photographs with
illegal baby gibbons
3. Support the conservation
of the rainforest
4. Become a volunteer for the GRP
5. Make a donation to the project
GIBBON
REHABILITATION
PROJECT
The Gibbon Rehabilitation
Project (GRP) was established
in 1992 by Mr. Noppadol Preuksawan. The GRP is a unique animal
welfare and conservation organisation, working to rehabilitate
unwanted or confiscated gibbons
from the pet trade and tourist
industry and to reintroduce suitable candidates back into the wild.
GRP’s rehabilitation site and Center for Conservation Education
and Fund Raising are both located
in the Khao Pra Theaw Non-Hunting
Area at the Bang Pae Waterfall.
They have split the gibbons into
two locations. Location one is away
from tourists visiting the Bang
Pae Waterfall. Here you’ll find
monkeys that are unable to live
in close proximity with humans,
due to past abuse by people. They
are unfortunately unable to go back
into the wild; however, they enjoy
a better life in a cage with plenty
of space and enough food and water.
Close to the Center
for Conservation Education
and Fund Raising, there are several
big cages where the gibbons live.
The cages are so huge and natural
looking, it seems as if the monkeys
could walk out of the cage.
The gibbons on this side of the park
have the biggest chance of going
back to the wild, as they don’t pose
a danger to themselves or to people.
Gibbons live in families
and therefore need to be released
together. GRP has been able
to release several families back into
the wild. There are three criteria
for reintroduction to be considered
successful. The gibbons should ideally:
1) Survive 10 years post-release
2) Maintain original pair bond
3) Raise three wild born babies
past infancy
Lately, GRP has been scouting other
areas to release gibbons back into
the wild, as there are several places
in Thailand where wild gibbons have
become extinct due to poaching.
They have now found a site
in Chiang Mai to release gibbons.
This is an excellent step forward
in developing a method to successfully
For more information about
the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
or to help them out, go to their
website to see what you can do!
CONTACT DETAILS
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
104/3 Moo 3 Packlock, Phuket 83110,
Thailand
Tel: +6676260491
Website: http://www.gibbonproject.org
Email: [email protected]
There are so many ways we can help
out in this world. If it’s not by donating money, it’s by giving our time
or by raising money or awareness
for a good cause. What do you
do to make this world a better place?
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