Hoolock Gibbon Research in the Dibang Plains Area

Research Question

How are hoolock gibbons surviving in the increasingly fragmented forested plains of Lower Dibang Valley, and what actions are needed to support their long-term conservation?

Why Does This Matter?

Hoolock gibbon is India’s only ape and an important flagship species for the forests of Dibang Valley. Over the past two decades, large areas of the forested plains of Lower Dibang Valley have been converted into agricultural land, leaving many gibbon families isolated in small and disconnected forest fragments.

Within the Idu Mishmi community, it is a serious taboo to kill gibbons, meaning they face little direct threat from hunting. However, habitat loss and fragmentation have reduced food availability and limited movement between forest patches. While EECEP has helped secure important gibbon habitat within its Community Conservation Area, many gibbon families continue to live outside EECEP in fragmented landscapes that require urgent attention.

What Are We Doing?

This long-term initiative aims to expand gibbon research and conservation beyond EECEP into the fragmented plains of Lower Dibang Valley. We are conducting baseline research to identify and map gibbon families across the region, understand their habitat use and movement patterns, assess the condition of forest fragments, and document land ownership patterns that influence conservation opportunities.

This work includes interview-based occupancy surveys to map Hoolock gibbon families across the plains of Lower Dibang Valley, field surveys to assess ecological conditions such as food availability, habitat connectivity, and threats in occupied forest fragments, and engagement with landowners and local communities to build collaborative, community-based conservation efforts for gibbon habitats.

What Are We Learning?

This research is helping us understand the distribution of gibbon families, the quality of habitats they occupy, and the challenges they face in fragmented landscapes. It is also generating important information on habitat connectivity and the social context needed for effective conservation planning.

The Way Forward

The findings will provide the foundation for future community-led conservation efforts in the Dibang plains. By working closely with landowners and local communities, we aim to improve habitat connectivity, secure critical forest fragments, and support the long-term survival of hoolock gibbons across the wider Dibang landscape.

About Dibang Team 

The Dibang Team is a collective of Idu Mishmi people from the twin districts of the Dibang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, India. We have been working to conserve the region’s bio-cultural diversity while creating sustainable livelihoods. We combine Western science with Idu knowledge, culture, and spirituality to strengthen our cultural and traditional institutions, ensuring that the region’s biocultural diversity continues to thrive for generations.