Help Bring Wildlife Back to Angkor Forest

All has progressed smoothly with our work to restore wildlife back into the historic forests of Angkor, which was previously wiped out by over-hunting. Pileated gibbons Baray, Saranick and their baby, Spider are still enjoying the forest in the Angkor forest. We continue to place food a short distance away near a stream. This is a management tool and ensures the gibbons do not visit areas frequented by tourists. Spider is becoming more precocious by the day and is proudly displaying the customary confidence shown by all of his kind when travelling through the trees. Several times we have seen him fall, but he always caught himself and there was no damage. Each time Saranick was beside him in a trice, reassuring him and herself that her precious infant was unhurt. However, on December 13th, the branch he was using broke. Spider plummeted downwards and hit the ground. Saranick picked him up in an instant and returned to the trees. A gibbon’s body is very light and Spider was fine. Hopefully this experience will teach him to be a little more careful in future.

Bayon and Tevy, the other pair of gibbons we released, are also well. They have mated a few times and although male Bayon moves around a lot he returns to his release enclosure, where we place food for them. Tevy now accompanies Bayon when he travels and she has become much more confident in the trees. The relationship between the two gibbons has clearly become much stronger and we often see them playing happily together.

Thank you for helping support this important project, and giving these endangered gibbons a chance at life in the wild.