- As authorities have continued to criminalize great ape trafficking, “small apes” like gibbons, which are also coveted by the illegal pet trade and whose trade is also lucrative, are likely to see an increasing threat to their long-term survival if nations don’t act to protect them too, a new op-ed states.
- Of all gibbon species, the siamang is the most trafficked, making it one of the most, if not the most trafficked ape species, as highlighted by a recent siamang trafficking bust at a major Indian airport.
- “Urgent action is needed to combat this ongoing crisis before the song of the siamang and other gibbons vanishes from the forests of Sumatra,” the author argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
Siamangs are the largest of the 20 gibbon species, and belong to their own genus, Symphalangus. Distributed across Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and the southernmost part of Thailand, their unforgettable and emblematic call defines the soundscape of the hill forests in the region. Despite still having several population strongholds across their range, with their number likely being around 100,000 across Sumatra, they are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Gibbons, also known as “small apes,” receive far less conservation attention than their “great ape” cousins, and so the trafficking of gibbons is still a big and increasing threat to their long-term survival. By contrast, orangutan trafficking has decreased over the last five years and is seen as a higher-profile crime compared to trafficking gibbons. Among all gibbon range countries, Indonesia is the hotspot for gibbon trafficking, which is reflected in the numerous wildlife rescue centers across the country that shelter gibbons. Of all gibbon species, the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is the most trafficked, making it one of the most, if not the most trafficked ape species, globally.
Recent news highlights this trend, with five Siamang infants being confiscated at Chennai International Airport in India. As Mongabay recently highlighted, India is becoming the main destination for smuggled gibbons, likely coming from Sumatra via Malaysia. On March 3, Indonesian authorities off the coast of North Sumatra busted a ship en route to Malaysia, and among human trafficking victims, 10 gibbons, of which seven were siamangs, were also being trafficked.
This highlights the illicit nature of the wildlife trade that is closely linked to the trafficking of humans and also drugs. The gibbons were sent to a rehabilitation facility run by Yayasan Orangutan Sumatera Lestari (also known as the Orangutan Information Centre), a facility that currently shelters 33 gibbons, 25 of them siamangs.
“The limited law enforcement and prosecutions for smuggled gibbons means numbers of infants being traded is increasing. For every infant there will be a dead mother and the impact on wild populations is poorly understood,” said Susan M. Cheyne, vice chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission of the Primate Specialist Group on Small Apes. “Additionally, there is limited protection for these species once they leave the country of origin. Confiscated wildlife must be returned to the country of origin, and not taken into zoos,” she recently told me.
Why are siamangs the most trafficked of the gibbon species? Likely because their population is still strong in many areas, and hence they are easy to find. Further, they are larger than the other gibbon species and slower moving, thus they are easier to catch. Also, Sumatra is a key hub from where wildlife is smuggled to Malaysia and then shipped or flown to the end destination, such as India or the Middle East. The trend for the international market for siamangs is recent, highlighting a growing concern for the species. Within Indonesia, there has been demand for siamangs to be kept as pets, with most rescued at the center in North Sumatra coming from the illegal pet trade within the nation, an issue which is most severe in Java and Sumatra.
With the recent crash in funding from the U.S. government to combat wildlife crime in the region, the situation only can become worse. The main funding to address wildlife trafficking in South and Southeast Asia had been coming from USAID, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. State Department.
According to OIC founder Panut Hadisiswoyo, “The gibbon trade is now where the orangutans were one to two decades ago. It is a true trafficking crisis that has gone unnoticed. While orangutans have become more difficult to get, the trade has shifted to the gibbons, which are seen as less of a priority for law enforcement,” he recently told me. “Years when we rescued orangutans from illegal private collections, we had to leave behind siamangs, as there was no place to take them to. Feeling guilty about this, we decided that we must establish a gibbon rehabilitation facility in North Sumatra to give gibbons the same chance as orangutans. I am worried with the funding freeze of [the] U.S. government, the situation will only get worse.”
The crisis is a huge conservation issue that is undermining healthy and viable populations, while also being a crisis of immense cruelty and suffering. In order to get one baby, the mother and likely other family members are killed, and then the baby is smuggled long distances under grueling conditions. Most will die, but this is calculated and accepted, and it is a lucrative business.
Urgent action is now needed to combat this ongoing crisis before the song of the siamang and other gibbons vanishes from the forests of Sumatra.
Sinan Serhadli works across South and Southeast Asia for the People Resources and Conservation Foundation and collaborates with community groups on conservation and development projects.
Banner image: A siamang gibbon seized in Chennai, India in August 2024, along with turtles and pythons. It was being carried in the baggage of a passenger travelling from Bangkok. Image courtesy of PIB India/Press release.
Related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: Hear haunting calls of gibbons that researchers are recording to boost their conservation efforts, listen here:
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Increase in gibbon trafficking into India has conservationists worried
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