The Conservation Status of Hoolock Gibbons in Myanmar
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The Conservation Status of Hoolock Gibbons in Myanmar Thomas Geissmann Mark E. Grindley Ngwe Lwin Saw Soe Aung Thet Naing Aung Saw Blaw Htoo Frank Momberg People Resources and Conservation Foundation Fauna & Flora International Myanmar Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association Gibbon Conservation Alliance Karen Environmental and Social Action Network The Conservation Status of Hoolock Gibbons in Myanmar by Thomas Geissmann, Mark E. Grindley, Ngwe Lwin, Saw Soe Aung, Thet Naing Aung, Saw Blaw Htoo, and Frank Momberg 2013 ii The Conservation Status of Hoolock Gibbons in Myanmar Authors: Thomas Geissmann, Gibbon Conservation Alliance, and Anthropological Institute, University Zürich-Irchel, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH–8057 Zürich, Switzerland Mark E Grindley, Chief Technical Officer, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand Programs, People Resources and Conservation Foundation, Chiang Mai, Thailand Ngwe Lwin, Field Project Coordinator, Myanmar Primate Conservation Program, Yangon, Myanmar Saw Soe Aung, Senior Biologist, Myanmar Primate Conservation Program, Yangon, Myanmar Thet Naing Aung, Junior Biologist, Myanmar Primate Conservation Program, Yangon, Myanmar Saw Blaw Htoo, Community Conservation Manager, Karen Environmental and Social Action Network, Chiang Mai, Thailand Frank Momberg, Asia Director for Program Development, Fauna and Flora International, Jakarta, Indonesia Published by: Gibbon Conservation Alliance Anthropological Institute University Zürich-Irchel Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH–8057 Zürich, Switzerland Email: [email protected] Web: www.gibbonconservation.org Copyright: © 2013 Fauna & Flora International, People Resources and Conservation Foundation, Myanmar Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association, and Gibbon Conservation Alliance. The copyright of the photographs used in this publication lies with the individual photographers. Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial uses is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder(s) provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder(s). Suggested citation: Geissmann, T., Grindley, M. E., Ngwe Lwin, Saw Soe Aung, Thet Naing Aung, Saw Blaw Htoo, and Momberg, F. (2013). The conservation status of hoolock gibbons in Myanmar. Gibbon Conservation Alliance, Zürich, Switzerland, xii + 157 pp. ISBN: 978-3-033-04358-9 The program: This report is an output of the Myanmar Primate Conservation Program, a joint initiative of the Myanmar Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association (BANCA), Fauna and Flora International (FFI), and the People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF). It was conducted as part of the Myanmar Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Status Review project, which ran from 2008 to 2010. Report series: This is Report No. 13 of the Myanmar Primate Conservation Program. Disclaimer: The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Fauna and Flora International and the People Resources and Conservation Foundation, and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the donors or other partner organizations. Funded by: Arcus Foundation Great Apes Fund US Fish and Wildlife Service Great Ape Conservation Program Gibbon Conservation Alliance The Conservation Status of Hoolock Gibbons in Myanmar iii Contents i. Dedication ......................................................................................................................... v ii. Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ vi iii. Abbreviations and acronyms ...................................................................................... viii iv. Conventions .................................................................................................................... ix v. Summary .......................................................................................................................... x 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 2. Overview of gibbon conservation in Myanmar ............................................................. 5 2.1 Primates in Myanmar ............................................................................................... 5 2.2 Protection status of Myanmar’s gibbons .................................................................. 7 2.3 Protection of gibbon habitat ..................................................................................... 8 2.4 Forest extent and trends ........................................................................................ 11 2.5 Previous gibbon conservation initiatives ................................................................ 12 3. Taxonomy ....................................................................................................................... 14 3.1 An introduction to the gibbons (Family: Hylobatidae) ............................................ 14 3.2 Splitting the gibbons ............................................................................................... 14 3.3 An introduction to the hoolock gibbons (genus Hoolock) ....................................... 15 3.4 Taxonomic history of the hoolock gibbons ............................................................. 16 3.5 How many hoolock species? ................................................................................. 18 4. Range and distribution .................................................................................................. 20 4.1 Range of the genus Hoolock .................................................................................. 20 4.2 Western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) ........................................................... 21 4.3 Eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) ...................................................... 24 5. Hoolock behavioural ecology ....................................................................................... 26 5.1 Social organization ................................................................................................. 26 5.2 Habitat .................................................................................................................... 29 5.3 Feeding ecology ..................................................................................................... 31 5.4 Life history .............................................................................................................. 32 5.5 Behaviour and communication ............................................................................... 34 5.6 Discussion of hoolock behavioural ecology ........................................................... 36 6. Hoolock gibbon species descriptions ......................................................................... 37 6.1 General features of hoolock gibbons ..................................................................... 37 6.2 Species identification ............................................................................................. 39 iv The Conservation Status of Hoolock Gibbons in Myanmar 7. Hoolock gibbon records in Myanmar .......................................................................... 45 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 45 7.2 Origin of Myanmar hoolock gibbon records ........................................................... 45 7.3 Western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) ........................................................... 46 7.4 Eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) ...................................................... 61 7.5 Hoolock gibbon, uncertain species ........................................................................ 86 7.6 Incorrect records .................................................................................................... 87 8. Threat s to hoolock gibbons in Myanmar ..................................................................... 88 8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 88 8.2 Hunting ................................................................................................................... 89 8.3 Wildlife trade .......................................................................................................... 91 8.4 Habitat loss ............................................................................................................ 93 9. Gibbon status ............................................................................................................... 100 9.1 Gibbons in the protected area system ................................................................. 100 9.2 Population estimates for Myanmar ...................................................................... 101 9.3 Status of western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) .......................................... 110 9.4 Status of hoolock gibbon, uncertain species ........................................................ 113 9.5 Status of eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) ..................................... 113 9.6 General observations ........................................................................................... 115