With respect to the Western Hoolock Gibbons, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- 1.A Sanctuary in North-east India is home to this ape species listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
- 2.They have specialized brachiation and can easily swing between trees.
- 3.They possess a strong and heavy build like gorillas, yet are remarkably agile tree climbers.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1 and 2
The western hoolock gibbon, India's only ape, is assessed as Endangered by the IUCN, and Assam's Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary in Jorhat is named after it. Gibbons are expert brachiators that swing arm over arm through the canopy, but they are small, light apes, not heavily built like gorillas.
- ✓ 1. Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary (about 21 sq km, Jorhat district, Assam) is named after the hoolock gibbon; the western hoolock (Hoolock hoolock) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
- ✓ 2. Gibbons have very long forearms and move mainly by brachiation, swinging from branch to branch and covering more than 3 m in a single swing.
- ✗ 3. Gibbons are the lightest apes, weighing roughly 4–13 kg; the agility comes from a slender, light build, not a heavy gorilla-like body.
Remember · Western hoolock gibbon: India's only ape, IUCN Endangered, Schedule I; Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Jorhat (Assam); moves by brachiation.
Sources
- Jorhat District (Government of Assam), Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary ↗ “Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife sanctuary, more popularly known as Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary named after Hoolock Gibbon covers an area of 20.98 square kilometers”
- Assam State Biodiversity Board (Government of Assam): Choudhury, The Distribution, Status and Conservation of Hoolock Gibbon in Assam ↗ “It is listed as “Endangered.” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2008). … The hoolock gibbon, Hoolock hoolock, is the only ape found in the Indian subcontinent.”
- Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan), Hylobatidae: gibbons ↗ · reference work “These apes are of medium size (3.9-12.7 kg). They lack tails. Their forearms are remarkably long … They are remarkably active and agile brachiators, capable of exceeding 3m in a swing.”
Question and answer: UPSC's provisional GS Paper I (2026, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·