This species uses all levels of the tropical evergreen forests they inhabit, although they prefer the mid canopy. Fruits make up the majority of their diet, but they can also forage on 160 different plant species, bird eggs and insects if necessary. Siamang gibbons are monogamous and do not usually take a new mate if their first partner dies. In combination with their long generation time of 15 years, this makes population recovery slow. Their large throat sac gives them a loud call which travels 2km for territory marking and social calls.
Fun Fact – Their arm length can be 2.6 times their body length, helping them to jump up to 10m between branches!
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Ecology
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Threats
As a charismatic species, gibbons are threatened by poaching for the pet trade and human consumption, even in protected areas. Their strict territoriality limits their inclination to disperse in response to disturbances such as fires, which also have a drastic impact on infant survival rates. In some countries, 60% of their already restricted habitat is projected to be lost by 2050 due to increasing forest loss for development and agriculture.
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Conservation
Local laws and its CITES Appendix I listing protect the species throughout its range, though the extent of the protection offered in reality is unknown. A large captive population is spread around the world, offering hope for the future, but much more in situ conservation is needed, especially through habitat restoration, wildlife corridors and enforcement of poaching laws. The samples stored by Nature’s SAFE are an important step to safeguarding the future of this important primate.
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Preserved January 2024
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Sumatran laughing thrush
Total Population: 2,500 - 10,000 in the wild
Orange-headed thrush
Total Population: Unknown
Mandanao bleeding-heart dove
Total Population: Less than 2,500 in the wild
Okapi
Total Population: Less than 25,000 in the wild
Wolverine
Total Population: Around 13,000 in the wild
Red river hog
Total Population: Unknown
African Lion
Total Population: 20,000 - 25,000 in the wild
Sloth bear
Total Population: Less than 20,000 in the wild
Black-naped fruit dove
Total Population: Unknown
Hyacinth macaw
Total Population: Around 6,500 in the wild
African penguin
Total Population: Less than 40,000 in the wild
Inca Tern
Total Population: Around 150,000 in the wild
Owston’s palm civet
Total Population: Unknown
Brandt’s vole
Total Population: Unknown
Macaroni Penguin
Total Population: Around 12 million
Common Eland
Total Population: 90,000 to 110,000 in the wild
Mandarin duck
Total Population: Around 65,000 in the wild
Parma Wallaby
Total Population: 1,000 - 10,000 in the wild