The Western Hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape species, found solely in the northeastern states along the southern banks of the Dibang–Brahmaputra River system, continues to face significant threats due to hunting, habitat encroachment, and fragmentation. Compounding these challenges is limited awareness about the species, even among Assam’s newer forest department staff.
To address this gap, Aaranyak, a biodiversity conservation organisation in Northeast India, recently conducted a comprehensive training programme, “Training of Forest Frontline Staff for the Conservation of Hoolock Gibbon in Assam,” aimed at equipping Assam Forest Department’s staff with essential skills for gibbon conservation. Organised in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department’s Jorhat Division and supported by The Habitats Trust and IUCN Primate Specialists Group, the programme spanned an intensive week.
Participants covered a broad curriculum, including regional biodiversity, Hoolock gibbon conservation, population and habitat monitoring, census methods, habitat restoration, GPS use, rescue and rehabilitation techniques, and applications of wildlife law. The training also included field exercises to introduce staff to principles of primatology and field research. Trainees marked International Gibbon Day on October 24 by participating in celebrations at Meleng Saiding LPS, receiving training manuals, posters, books on gibbons, and other study materials.
The fifth training session in 2024, held at the Gibbon Conservation Centre in Hoolock Gibbon Sanctuary, Mariani, was inaugurated by senior primatologist Dr Dilip Chetry, Head of the Primate Research & Conservation Division at Aaranyak. Dr Chetry stressed the importance of hands-on experience and thanked the Jorhat Forest Department for their support. The session welcomed twenty-two frontline staff members from eleven forest divisions across Assam, including Cachar, Dima Hasao East, Dima Hasao West, Golaghat, Hailakandi, Hamren, Karbi Anglong East, Karbi Anglong West, Sivasagar, South Nagaon, and Karimganj.
Expert trainers from various fields contributed to the training, including Dr IC Baruah (Assam Agricultural University), Dr Prabal Sarkar (University of Science and Technology Meghalaya), Dr Bhaskar Choudhury (Wildlife Trust of India), Ajoy Kumar Das (Guwahati High Court), Gunin Saikia (former Deputy Conservator of Forest), and representatives from Aaranyak, such as Dr Chetry, Arup Kumar Das, Akshay Kumar Upadhyaya, Simanta Medhi, and Arif Hussain.
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The programme concluded on October 27 with a convocation ceremony presided over by Dr Chetry and attended by Jorhat Forest Division’s Divisional Forest Officer, Nandha Kumar, who commended the partnership with Aaranyak for bolstering conservation efforts. He encouraged trainees to apply their knowledge towards preserving Assam’s rich biodiversity, particularly the Hoolock gibbon. Rupak Bhuyan, Jorhat Forest Division’s Range Officer, also addressed the convocation, urging the participants to fulfil their conservation duties diligently.
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