Threats and Conservation
The silvery gibbon ranks among the most threatened primates. It is listed as Endangered on the 2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with the population appearing more stable than in a 2004 assessment of the species being Critically Endangered, which suggested there was a 50% chance of the silvery gibbon becoming extinct within the next decade. Habitat destruction on densely populated Java continues to reduce the natural range of the species. Many gibbons are also lost to the illegal pet trade, when adults are hunted so their young can be sold in the markets as pets. Less than 2,000 silvery gibbons in the wild are considered to be genetically viable for the continuation of the species. There are also a dozen small, nonviable populations. Aside from these wild populations, many silvery gibbons are held as pets throughout Indonesia. Gunung Halimun National Park is able to sustain a population of 1000 gibbons.
Several zoos operate silvery gibbon breeding programs. Despite these efforts, the future survival of this species is in question.
Like all gibbon species, the silvery gibbon lives in pairs and stakes out territory that the pair strongly defends; it has relatively small territories of about 42 acres. Females sing to declare their territory several times a day, and if strangers are spotted, the male screams loudly in an attempt to scare them away. The males are usually very aggressive to others.
Read more about this topic: Silvery Gibbon
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