The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project is a centre that aims to rescue, rehabilitate and release endangered gibbons.
It opened in 1992 and is a non-governmental organisation that takes in captive gibbons, retrains them and returns them to the wild. Unlike many animal attractions, its focus is on helping the animals rather than profiting from them, and it is a good place to learn about gibbons and how you can help them.
It's a Gibbon!
If you see a furry, acrobatic ape with big eyes and playful behaviour, it is probably a gibbon. Their appeal has made them a target for poachers, and they are now highly endangered.
How gibbons became endangered
Three things have pushed these animals towards extinction: deforestation, poaching and tourism. Gibbons live in the jungle, and deforestation leaves them homeless and at greater risk from poachers. Tourism has fuelled poaching: hunters sell gibbons to people who keep them as pets, and touts parade them at tourist spots such as beaches, charging tourists to take photos with them. Because baby gibbons are the most sought after, the mother is often killed to take the baby.
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project helps these animals and raises public awareness of the abuse they suffer. A visit gives you a chance to see and hear the gibbons, which live in large enclosures; from the walkway you can see a few of them at a distance. Knowledgeable guides tell you their names, what they eat and what they have been through. You can watch them sing, swing and play, and children will enjoy their loud calls.
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project relies entirely on donations. You can make a donation, and the centre also runs a shop selling T-shirts and other goods to fund the project.