AT Photo
Hailakandi, April 30: Two gibbons died and another was injured when they came in contact with a high power electric line near Indo-Bangla bordering fence in Karimganj district on Friday. The incident took place near Mukamatilla BoP on the Indo-Bangla border in Karimganj district of Barak Valley in South Assam. The area is around 40 km from Karimganj Town.
The forest range officer of Patherkandi Manoj Kumar Das informed that two personnel of Border Security Force (BSF) on duty at Mokamatila BoP spotted three gibbons lying on the ground in contact with a power line, inside of which two died on the spot and one was lying injured. They immediately reported the incident to their officer. Three gibbons were evacuated and sent to a nearby Patherkandi veterinary clinic and informed the top forest officials.
Meanwhile, the veterinary doctor declared the two gibbons dead and treated the injured gibbon and handed them over to the forest department. The Forest Department officials took the bodies of two dead gibbons and released the other one in the forest. The bodies of two gibbons have been buried, Das added.
Local people doubted that the gibbons may be brought to the border for smuggling and due to the strict vigilance of BSF personnel they failed to do so.
Hoolock Gibbon, India's only ape species is mainly found in Assam. These are rare species and endangered as well and live around 20-25 years. Experts say that these species have never been spotted in Barak Valley.
Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) is the only gibbon (apes in the family Hylobatidae) found in India, according to an analysis. Earlier, Northeast India was said to be home to two species, eastern (Hoolock leuconedys) and western hoolock (Hoolock hoolock) gibbons.
