Yes, but just the one species. Apes – tailless and intelligent primates – are represented in India by the western hoolock gibbon, which is found in tropical evergreen and semi- deciduous forest in the country’s north-east. It belongs to the family Hylobatidae, which translates rather nicely from the Greek as ‘one who treads the forest’.
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Hoolock gibbons live in the forest canopy, where they hang and swing along at high speed using their arms (which are almost twice the length of their legs) – a mode of travel known as brachiation. Loss of forest connectivity is therefore
a significant threat, leading to isolated populations and, in turn, genetic weakness.
Adult hoolocks are one of a number of animals that mate for life and live in small family groups comprising parents and offspring in territories of 50-60 hectares, occasionally 200-400 hectares. They are known for being noisy: the forest resonates when adults ‘sing’ duets with alternating high and low notes, often joined by the youngsters in chorus, to defend their patch.