Rare gibbons species need to be conserved: FFI

Species of gibbons, which are rare in the world, need to be conserved for their survival because they support the survival of forests, said U Ngwe Lwin, Programme Manager for Fauna and Flora International (FFI). There are 20 gibbon species in the world, and four species have been found in Myanmar. All of the gibbon species found in Myanmar are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
“Gibbons have a habit of swallowing seeds when eating ripe fruits, which are dumped with their faeces along their path, causing the seeds to spread into the forest and cause new plants to grow,” said U Ngwe Lwin. The gibbon species are endangered because of deforestation, forest fragmentation and poaching.
Under the leadership of the Forest Department, the WCS (Myanmar Program), Friends of Wildlife (FoW), Myanmar FFI, NCC and Waplaw are cooperating with local people and local organizations in Kachin State, Sagaing Region, Magway Region, Rakhine State, Kayin State and Taninthayi Region, where the gibbons are found, in order to observe the gibbon species.—Pane Zaloat – Thein Nyunt (Translated by Maung Maung Swe)