HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Oct 27: Aaranyak, with a mission to conduct research, training, and conservation activities in Northeast India, held a day-long awareness program at Mariani College in Jorhat district on International Gibbon Day, October 24.
The event was organised in collaboration with the department of Zoology, IQAC, Mariani College, state Forest Department (particularly Jorhat Forest Division) with support from The Habitats Trust, IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, and the IUCN Section of Small Apes.
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The Western hoolock gibbon (hoolock hoolock) is found only in the seven north-eastern states of India, located on the southern bank of the Dibang–Brahmaputra river system. Unfortunately, hunting, encroachment, and habitat fragmentation pose the greatest threats to gibbons in India.
Additionally, there is a lack of awareness about the hoolock gibbon among various sections of the population, including students. Many educators and students remain unaware of the numerous aspects of Hoolock gibbon conservation strategies. To address this gap and foster a conservation drive in Assam, Aaranyak is conducting a series of programs focused on hoolock gibbon conservation.
The program was chaired and inaugurated by Dr Horen Gowala, principal of Mariani College. Dr Dilip Chetry, senior primatologist and head of the Primate Research and Conservation Division at Aaranyak, served as the keynote speaker.
Dr Chetry, who also serves as vice-chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group for South Asia, delivered a talk titled ‘The State of Western Hoolock Gibbon Conservation in Assam’. In his keynote address, Dr Chetry emphasised the objectives of International Gibbon Day, which began in 2015: to raise awareness about gibbons and how people can help protect them, to highlight conservation efforts by various organisations, individuals, and communities, and to promote local cultures linked to gibbon conservation. He also addressed the role and responsibilities of educators and students in gibbon habitat areas.
Dr Chetry shared details of Aaranyak’s conservation initiatives for the hoolock gibbon in Assam throughout 2024. These included educational awareness programs that benefitted around 5,000 students, training sessions for 120 frontline staff of the state Forest Department, and various research activities.
Speaker Rupam Bhuyan, forest range officer (in-charge), Mariani Forest Range, H Gibbon Sanctuary, highlighted some challenges faced by the sanctuary and called upon the college community to support Hoolock gibbon conservation efforts. Another speaker, Dr Bhaskar Buragohain from the department of Botany, Mariani College, discussed the importance of orchid conservation at Gibbon Sanctuary.
The International Gibbon Day program was coordinated by Dr Heman Saikia and Dr Rajkumar Buragohain, and anchored by Aaishara Chetia and Monideepa Dutta Borah. Approximately 1,000 students and several faculty members, including Dr Arupanjali Borah, Nibedita Sharma, Rajen Dutta, Ratan Singh, Khirod Chandra Deka, and Somorita Kashyap, attended the event. Key issues such as oil exploration and electrification around the H Gibbon Sanctuary were also raised and discussed.
