Tripura has unveiled a targeted action plan to conserve the endangered Western Hoolock Gibbon, India’s only species of ape, as concerns mount over its rapidly declining population and shrinking natural habitat.
The initiative, a collaborative effort between the Tripura Forest Department, Tripura University, and conservation organisation Aaranyak, seeks to halt the species’ fall and secure the future of one of India’s most distinctive primates.
Despite being listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List and accorded the highest level of legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Western Hoolock Gibbon continues to face relentless threats from habitat destruction and hunting.
Forest officials report that the state’s gibbon population has fallen from 97 in 2005 to just 79, triggering an urgent need for intervention.
“These apes are not just vital to the ecosystem, but also hold immense cultural and ecological significance,” said professor Sabyasachi Dasgupta of Tripura University, who is closely involved with the initiative. “We are focusing on long-term population monitoring, restoring degraded habitats and building local support for conservation.”
The action plan outlines a multi-pronged strategy to safeguard the species, with habitat restoration at its core. Fragmented forest patches are being reconnected to restore canopy continuity, which is essential for the gibbons’ arboreal movement and survival.
Also read: NF Railway builds canopy bridges for rare Gibbons
“Long-term monitoring protocols are being established to systematically track population changes and assess the effectiveness of conservation efforts. To strengthen on-ground implementation, the plan emphasises capacity building, including the training of forest staff and law enforcement personnel in wildlife protection and species-specific conservation techniques. Additionally, the initiative promotes research and education by supporting ecological and behavioural studies that can inform data-driven interventions. Lastly, the plan underlines the importance of locals’ participation, encouraging their through culturally awareness campaigns and sustainable practices that align conservation goals with the needs of forest-dependent communities,” said Dasgupta.
Gibbons in Tripura are largely concentrated in the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary in South Tripura, and also inhabit forested pockets of Gomati and Khowai districts.
Vignesh, Divisional Forest Officer of Gomati, confirmed sightings in the Amarpur subdivision, although a comprehensive census is still in progress.
At Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Assistant Conservator Bimal Das said eight gibbons are currently thriving in the core zone — a welcome sign for conservation efforts.
“Practices like shifting cultivation, although culturally rooted, have fragmented forests. We must find sustainable alternatives that protect both people’s livelihoods and the forest,” said Das.
Conservationists caution that unless active measures are adopted to curb forest degradation and encroachment, the Western Hoolock Gibbon could disappear entirely from Tripura’s wild landscape.
Follow us
