Thai sanctuary rescues baby gibbon as trade surges
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Omkoi wildlife sanctuary – rescued an infant lar gibbon named Chokdee after locals reported finding him alone, likely after his mother was poached.
- Karin Hirankailas – director of the sanctuary, says Chokdee escaped his captors but cannot be returned to the wild.
- Susan Cheyne – IUCN small apes vice‑chair notes that about 70% of gibbons in the illegal pet trade are under two years old and each capture kills three to four other gibbons.
- Traffic – analysis shows trafficked gibbon seizures hit an all‑time high in 2025, with Thailand among the most affected countries.
- Chanpen Saralamba – Mahidol University biologist explains gibbon family dynamics, including male distraction tactics and the monogamous, territorial nature that makes infant capture lethal for mothers.
- IUCN – classifies one of 20 gibbon species as vulnerable, the rest endangered or critically endangered, with slow reproductive rates (≥2‑year gaps between births) hampering recovery.
- Facebook – more than 800 infant gibbons were advertised on its platform in Indonesia between 2015‑2019, highlighting the digital dimension of the illegal pet market.
Why it matters: Conservationists lose a potential future adult as the infant’s mother was likely killed, while traffickers profit from the surge in illegal sales; the rescue underscores how each capture kills multiple family members, threatening the already endangered gibbon populations and undermining regional biodiversity.
