New hope as a rare gibbon named after the Star Warshero has been discovered living in Myanmar
Danny Graham
First identified in 2017 by a group of Star Wars-loving scientists, the Skywalker hoolock gibbon was known only to exist in China, with fewer than 200 individuals. While experts suspected the distribution of the arboreal primate extended into Myanmar, a complex history of civil ethnic conflict in the country made it impossible to verify this theory. Now, new research published in the International Journal of Primatology proves that the species’ range does indeed spread into the South-East Asian nation.
Between December 2021 and March 2023, a field team, led by Fauna & Flora International and Nature Conservation Society Myanmar, undertook expeditions to six sites in Myanmar’s Kachin State and three sites in Shan State to determine the presence of Skywalker gibbons. The study involved the use of acoustic monitoring systems, which were set up at the sites. Each morning, the researchers listened to the Skywalker gibbons’ loud vocal displays to identify their locations.
The team also collected samples of plants and fruits discarded by the gibbons and analysed the material in a DNA/ RNA Shield. This non-invasive DNA-sampling technique enabled the researchers to confirm 44 new groups of Skywalker gibbon in Myanmar. The exact number of individuals is unknown.
Ngwe Lwin, who led the
