A week or so ago I wrote a short article about the wildlife photo prop business in Thailand. I included a video I filmed for Earth Touch News Network and it was about the Slow Loris. That film was actually one of three stories I filmed for Earth Touch about the travesty of the wildlife trade in Thailand. The 2nd was about the Asian Sun Bear and the 3rd was about Gibbons. The Gibbons film is the one featured here today.
Fast forward a few decades and now I know that poor old Bert firstly was not a "monkey" but an ape, and secondly he would have been separated cruelly from his mother by poachers who killed the entire family group to capture the baby. The adult Gibbons have no value as they cannot be domesticated, so they must be killed in order to separate the infants. These baby gibbons can then be raised with humans and generate a substantial income in the photo prop trade or simply sold on as "a cool pet"
In Phuket there is a foundation called the The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project that exists solely for the purpose of rescuing and rehabilitating Gibbons with the aim of hopefully releasing them in to their natural habitat. Often release is not possible though as these beautiful animals have never learned how to find their own food and the process of teaching this skill to an adult Gibbon is not without considerable challenge. Also Gibbons live in family groups so simply releasing an individual Gibbon back in to the wild is basically impossible.
As a tourist in Thailand the only Gibbon you will ever see is one thrust upon you by a photo tout. You will be immediately taken by how cute this creature is as he/she wraps her long arms around ur neck and looks up at you with those huge brown eyes. Damm you think - I must have a photo. And so the practice continues. Just remember that Gibbon had its entire family killed so you could get that cool travel photo for Instagram.
For those reading this article that are planning a trip to Phuket or perhaps even live in Phuket you have to check out the GRP (The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project) - it's on the east side of Phuket near the last remaining untouched rainforest on the island. It's on this mountainous enclave of rainforest that multiple family groups of White-handed Gibbons have been successfully released back in to the wild. Here you have a real chance of seeing Gibbons in the wild and if you don't see them you will certainly hear them as they have the most beautiful singing voices imaginable.
Remember folks - if you see wild animals being offered up for photos on your travels...... walk away!
