All news

Hainan authorities take steps to increase the population of endangered gibbons species

The number of these monkeys continues to decline worldwide

HAIKOU, October 1. TASS/. A popular blog about science in China Mofang Kexue published a detailed article about the Hainan gibbons — rare primates of which there are only a few dozen on the island so far. The authors recalled that thanks to the effective measures taken by the local authorities to create favorable conditions for the life of these monkeys, there are now two more of them in the province in 2021. 

Thus, the number of these animals on Hainan has increased to 35. According to experts, newborns are already six and seven months old, respectively. According to biologists, the physical condition of both babies is normal.

The features of rare primates

Gibbons on Hainan are noted to have differences in coloration: males have black coats, while females have dark yellow or light chestnut coats. Such monkeys predominantly lead a monogamous lifestyle, they live as couples. As biologists have established, these animals with unusually long forelimbs are able to exchange sound signals with which they constantly communicate with each other.

Rare primates feed on both plant foods and small animals. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are 20 species of gibbons on our planet, however, according to the experts of the organization, only Hainan has the ability to gradually restore the population. According to experts, the number of these monkeys continues to decline across the world, while in the southernmost province of China they are under the watchful protection of the state, and there is every reason to believe that their number will increase.

This primate species is found only on Hainan. Over the centuries, the conditions for their habitation have gradually deteriorated, which is associated with the constantly increasing human economic activity. In addition, due to the massive deforestation that continued in the region until the 80s of the last century, the natural habitat of gibbons also narrowed. Experts clarify that the decline in the number of these monkeys was previously largely due to the fact that the population did not understand well enough how important it was to protect animals and the environment.

The fight to restore species diversity

According to IUCN statistics, approximately one third of all flora and fauna on Earth are threatened with extinction. Despite the fact that the Hainan gibbons are still classified as endangered animals, there has been a recent trend towards a recovery in their population. This is primarily due to the efforts of the provincial authorities, which over the past three years have significantly improved the living conditions for these rare monkeys.

Hainan State Rainforest Park, where they live, is located in the central part of the island in Qiongzhong-Li-Miao Autonomous County, in the region of the largest mountain range in the province — Wuzhishan. The area of ​​this reserve reaches 4,400 square kilometers, the area is almost completely covered with jungle, there are more than 3,500 species of plants and 627 species of vertebrates. For more effective observation of gibbons in their habitat, special control sites were created.

Tags