A male northern white-cheeked gibbon (left) and a mother carrying her baby hang out in a treetop in Vietnam's Pu Mat National Park in a recent picture.
The animals are part of a newfound population of more than 400 of the gibbons, which are deemed critically endangered in Vietnam and Laos by theInternational Union for Conservation of Nature. The gibbons, which have declined due to widespread hunting and logging of their habitat, are likely extinct in China.
Conservation International had been searching for the rare primates since 2008, finding only a few scattered groups—until now. New auditory sampling surveys—during which researchers record the calls of gibbon "families"—have revealed that Pu Mat is home to 130 gibbon groups, for an overall population of roughly 455 individuals.
Gibbons are among the 6 percent of primates that mate for life (pictured, a female gibbon grooms a male).
The new northern white-cheeked gibbon population in Pu Mat was found in dense, high-altitude forests far from human settlements. But new roads through the region are being planned to increase border patrols between Vietnam and Laos—which may also increase access for poachers or loggers.
The discovery of such a large gibbon population may mean the species has a better chance of long-term survival, the scientists say.
Lone male gibbons—like the one pictured—make solo calls as they roam widely in search of a mate. The male's song is one of two types of calls recorded by researchers working in Pu Mat National Park, primatologist Luu Tuong Bach said via email.
The other call type is a duet between the male and female, sung once they've settled into a lifelong, monogamous bond, according to Luu, a Conservational International consultant who led the field surveys in Vietnam.
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