Context: 

Recently, the first meeting of the Global Gibbon Network (GGN) was held in Haikou, China which discussed  the conservation status of India’s only ape.

About Hoolock Gibbon:

• Gibbons are the smallest and fastest of all apes.
• The hoolock gibbon is one of 20 species of apes and is the only ape found in India.
• Habitat: They live in tropical and subtropical forests in the southeastern part of Asia. 
• Population: The estimated population of hoolock gibbons is 12,000. 
• Threats: Felling of trees for infrastructure projects.
• The Hoolock Gibbon is categorized into two types: 
  • Both species are protected under the Indian (Wildlife) Protection Act of 1972 and included in Schedule 1.

Study on Gibbons: 

• American naturalist R. Harlan was the first to describe the hoolock gibbon, characterised by their vigorous vocal displays, from Assam in 1834. 
• Over the decades, zoologists thought the northeast housed two species of the ape — the eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) found in a specific region of Arunachal Pradesh and the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) distributed elsewhere in the northeast. 
• A study led by Hyderabad-based Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in 2021 proved there is only one species of ape in India. 
  • It debunked earlier research that the eastern hoolock gibbon was a separate species based on the colour of its coat. 

About Global Gibbon Network (GGN):

• Novel initiative: In 2020, the International Gibbon Day (celebrated on 24th october) event brought together representatives from 20 gibbon conservation organizations. During this event, they launched the Global Gibbon Conservation Network Initiative. 
• GGN: The initiative aimed to establish a Global Gibbon Network (GGN) and urged worldwide collaboration for gibbon conservation.
• Organized by: Hainan Institute of National Parks and Eco Foundation Global.
• Aim: To protect and preserve Asia’s unique heritage, specifically the singing Gibbon and their habitats, by promoting participatory conservation policies, legislations and actions.

News Source: The Hindu