GUWAHATI, Jan 27 � In a development that has enthused conservationists, a baby gibbon has been born to a family of relocated eastern hoolock gibbons in their new home in Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh.
This is particularly heartening to the conservationists who had rescued them as it shows the primates to have successfully adapted to their new home.
The family is among the five stranded families rescued from the remote agrarian Dello village under the Mehao Gibbon Rescue Project by the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department and International Fund for Animal Welfare Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI). About 15 more gibbons are currently stranded in scattered trees separated in farmlands in Dello, awaiting relocation.
Named �Ouiji� (meaning �hope� in the local Idu Mishmi dialect), the infant was photographed suckling on its mother on January 22 by IFAW-WTI primatologist Dr Kuladeep Roy.
The baby was born to the third family, rescued and moved from Dello in February last year. The family was sighted �moving about and feeding� in the release site in Sally Lake, Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary. �This marks a milestone in our project,� Ipra Mekola, State Advisory Wildlife Board Member, who oversees the project, said. �This is absolutely brilliant news,� concurred Dr Ian Robinson of IFAW-Animal Rescue Director.
Successful conception and gestation of mammals, especially primates, rely on favourable conditions in their environment. Accordingly, during the initiation of the project, breeding success was identified as one of the crucial indicators of the successful rehabilitation of the gibbons.
Dr NVK Ashraf, Chief Veterinarian, WTI, said, �We are preparing for capture of more families in Dello in the coming months.�
