Orphaned hoolock gibbon rescued in Assam, under care near Kaziranga
Golaghat, Assam: A three to four-week-old western hoolock gibbon was rescued on 11 April 2026 near Kohora in Assam’s Golaghat district after her mother died from electrocution. Forest officials found the infant clinging to her mother and rushed her to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) near Kaziranga National Park.
At CWRC, run by IFAW and WTI, veterinarians placed her in neonatal intensive care. She was given specialised milk and round-the-clock monitoring. Within a month she gained 160 grams and began climbing, exploring branches, and eating figs, bamboo shoots, and leaves. Caregivers also gave her a soft plush toy for comfort.
The western hoolock gibbon is India’s only ape species and lives almost entirely in the forest canopy. Habitat fragmentation and power lines make movement dangerous, leading to frequent electrocutions. Fewer than 5,000 remain in the country, so each rescue is critical.
Experts say rehabilitation will take months or years. The goal is to teach her to forage, swing, and survive in the wild with minimal human contact.
The rescue highlights a landscape-first approach to conservation pushed by IFS officer Sonali Ghosh, 2025 recipient of the WCPA-Kenton Miller Award. For a species this rare, saving one orphan also means protecting the future of India’s only ape.
