Biodiversity conservation organisation Aaranyak has launched India’s first dedicated capacity-building programme for local communities aimed at strengthening the conservation of the endangered Western Hoolock Gibbon, the country’s only ape species.
The week-long residential training programme, held from June 17 to 22 at the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam, was organised in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department’s Jorhat Forest Division. The initiative received support from The Habitats Trust, the IUCN Section on Small Apes and the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group.
Twenty participants from Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland attended the programme, which focused on empowering communities living near gibbon habitats to play a greater role in wildlife conservation.
The participants received practical and classroom training on biodiversity conservation, primate ecology, gibbon population estimation, habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, GPS-based field techniques, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, and relevant wildlife laws. They also visited Assam Agricultural University and the Rain Forest Research Institute to learn about sustainable livelihood opportunities linked to biodiversity.
The programme was inaugurated by Zunheboto Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Obed Bohovi Swu, who urged participants to apply their knowledge to protect Hoolock Gibbons and other wildlife in their respective regions.
Aaranyak Director and Head of Primate Research and Conservation Initiatives, Dr. Dilip Chetry, said empowering local communities is essential for the long-term conservation of the endangered ape and the biodiversity of Northeast India.
The training featured sessions by experts from academic institutions, wildlife organisations and the Forest Department. At the concluding ceremony on June 22, participants received certificates, training manuals and educational materials.
Dr. Chetry described the initiative as the first programme of its kind in India designed specifically to build the conservation capacity of local communities for the protection of the Western Hoolock Gibbon.
The Western Hoolock Gibbon is found only in the forests of Northeast India south of the Dibang-Brahmaputra river system and faces growing threats from habitat loss, forest degradation and hunting. Conservationists believe community-led initiatives such as this can play a vital role in ensuring the survival of the endangered species.
