Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon

This arboreal primate from the Gaoligong mountain region was first identified in 2017. To spot a Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon, look for the thin white eyebrows separated by a wide gap. Males are typically dark brown, while adult females display blonde or reddish coats and incomplete white rings around their faces. Unlike similar species, these gibbons have dark beards and lack white hair patches beneath their eyes. These agile climbers move through the canopy using their arms, a motion reflected in their name which translates to heaven movement.

Living in the high forests of southwest China and eastern Myanmar, these primates occupy rugged terrain between the Irrawaddy and Salween rivers. They are most active during the day, retreating to tall trees before sunset to hide from nocturnal predators. To stay warm during the cold season, they huddle together and sleep at lower, warmer elevations. Their diet is varied, consisting of thirty-six different plant species, though they prefer fruit above all else. At dawn, they often fill the forest with loud, species-specific songs that can last over twenty minutes.

With fewer than 150 individuals remaining in the wild, the population is split into small, isolated groups. Much of their habitat remains unprotected and faces destruction to make room for cardamom crops. Illegal hunting and trading further pressure the species. Because the few individuals kept in captivity are all male, there is currently no way to breed them outside of their natural forest home.