Welfare challenges facing gibbons as deforestation fragments their forest canopy habitat across Southeast Asia.
Gibbon welfare is fundamentally dependent on forest canopy integrity. As obligate arboreal animals, gibbons can travel kilometers through connected forest canopy but cannot safely cross even small gaps. Deforestation forces them to the ground where they are vulnerable to predation, road mortality, and human capture. The illegal pet trade — which involves killing adult females to capture their infants — causes acute suffering and orphans young animals whose developmental needs cannot be met in human homes. Rescued gibbons require specialized rehabilitation and release programs that are costly and complex. Forest protection is the most welfare-efficient intervention for this diverse family of primates.