15–22 January 2009
Location: Javan Gibbon Centre in the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park, Java, Indonesia
Perth Zoo Field Workers: Clare Campbell (primates supervisor) and Kate O’Connell (keeper and veterinary nurse)
Goals
Young gibbon 'Saar' enjoying his enrichment activity.
Perth Zoo is one of only six institutions in the world successfully breeding the endangered Javan (or Silvery) Gibbon. The Zoo has successfully bred six gibbons since 1995. When old enough, these offspring were transferred to other zoos to set up new breeding pairs as part of international breeding efforts.
A major threat to the survival of Javan Gibbon in the wild is habitat destruction with more than 98% of its rainforest habitat on the island of Java already cleared. Javan Gibbons are also poached for the illegal pet trade.
The Silvery Gibbon Project, started by Perth Zoo staff and Docents in 1991, is a not-for-profit organisation working to secure the survival of Javan Gibbons in the wild. In 2002, the group helped establish the Javan Gibbon Centre, just outside the Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park in Java. The centre provides care and rehabilitation for ex-pet and rescued gibbons and currently houses 30 gibbons.
Over the past two years, almost all of the gibbons have been successfully paired, allowing them to live in a normal social structure. This is an important stage in gibbon rehabilitation. The long term aim for gibbons at the centre is to rehabilitate them to the point where they can be released into the wild. Gibbons unsuitable for release will remain paired and encouraged to breed with a view to introducing their offspring into wild habitat.
Perth Zoo is working closely with the Silvery Gibbon Project to support Javan Gibbon conservation in the wild. In February 2008, Perth Zoo funded a gibbon workshop in Java which brought together gibbon specialists from around the world to review the situation facing all gibbon species in Indonesia and to begin developing specific conservation actions for each species.
Flowing from this, an international program is being developed, led by Perth Zoo staff, to manage all Javan Gibbons, both inside and outside Indonesia, as one megapopulation because there are so few in captivity and in the wild. A primary goal of the plan will be managed releases of rescued ex-pet and captive-bred gibbons into the rainforests of Java to establish new populations in the wild.
Perth Zoo currently provides support for staff to visit the centre and assist with husbandry and veterinary procedures and has also approved funding for the development of habitat protection and reintroduction programs.
Field Trip
Kate O'Connell using the anaesthetic machine.
On this particular trip, Kate and I delivered an anaesthetic machine to the centre and provided training in the use of the machine. Worth around $6000, the machine was bought with funds donated by a Perth Zoo Docent. Kate’s expertise in the use of this machine was invaluable. She was able to demonstrate its use to the centre’s resident veterinarian and her assistant.
With the number of gibbons housed at the centre likely to substantially increase over the next few years due to increased education and understanding of the unsuitability of gibbons as pets, this machine will be extremely valuable for the centre.
The machine will be used to conduct annual health checks on the gibbons as well as allow staff to carry out more complex medical procedures as required. During our time at the centre, we also completed health checks on some of the gibbons and observed the behaviour of some of newly-formed pairs.
Perhaps the most exciting goal of our trip was to inspect a release site and assess its suitability. In the near future, it is hoped that rescued gibbons rehabilitated at the centre can be released back into the wild. A survey, funded by Perth Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Action, is currently being undertaken of the area to assess its suitability as a trial gibbon release site. This will include surveying the area for evidence of fruiting trees and Long-tailed Macaques and Leaf Monkeys living in the area.
We also planned a visit by the centre’s manager, Anton Ario, to Perth Zoo from 8–17 February. During this visit, Anton primarily spent time working with primates but was also able to gain some experience in the veterinary department and with other exotic animals. It was also an excellent opportunity for Anton to enhance his English language skills as well as build a rapport with Perth Zoo staff.
Highlights
Kate with Javan Gibbon Centre staff.
One of the highlights of our time at the centre was preparing enrichment items with staff and giving them to the gibbons. These items included bamboo shakers, surprise boxes, scent sprays and banana leaf parcels. Enrichment is not something these animals receive on a regular basis and it is hugely satisfying to watch their curious behaviour and see the genuine mental stimulation that such activities provide.
It was also great to visit the proposed release site and see where the release of the first pair of gibbons will be trialed. This is an exciting new phase for Silvery Gibbon conservation and one that has been in the pipeline for many years.
Challenges
The challenges continue on many fronts. Whilst some of the larger populations of Javan Gibbon are relatively protected, there are several other populations that have little or no protection at all. Efforts are being made to try and convert at least one of these areas into a national park but it takes time.
Young gibbons are still being taken as pets and presumably their mothers have been killed. Shockingly, in some instances, these appear to have come from protected areas.
Benefits
We cannot underestimate the value of our physical presence at the centre. Not only does it allow us to develop a rapport with the staff, it provides us with the opportunity to closely observe the gibbons, provide advice and share ideas.
The husbandry and veterinary skills of Perth Zoo staff are extremely beneficial to the work at the centre and the care of the gibbons is of an incredibly high standard as a result of this input.
Funds donated from Wildlife Conservation Action have allowed for travel to the centre and for this kind of on-the-ground involvement which is essential for the success of the project.
