Gibbons are the most diverse group of apes, with 20 recognised species, almost all threatened by habitat loss and the illegal pet trade — which begins with the killing of mothers and traumatises surviving infants.
Gibbon welfare is threatened at every stage by human activity. In the wild, deforestation destroys the high-canopy habitat gibbons need for foraging, sleeping, and singing — their territorial songs cannot propagate effectively through degraded forest, disrupting pair bonding and territorial maintenance. The pet trade inflicts acute trauma: witnessing the death of their mother and capture causes psychological harm comparable to post-traumatic stress in infants who require years of rehabilitation before they can begin to develop the forest skills taught by parents. In captivity, gibbons confined to small cages without the ability to brachiate — their natural, energetically efficient form of locomotion — develop severe physical and psychological problems. Gibbon sanctuary programmes that provide complex rope networks, social housing, and graduated reintroduction training offer the most welfare-positive outcomes for rescued individuals.