GUWAHATI, Aug 02: Assam based senior wildlife biologist and Aaranyak’s primate scientist Dr Dilip Chetry represented India in a significant global conservation event, the 30th Congress of the International Primatological Society (IPS) held in Antananarivo, Madagascar. This was informed by state bio-diversity conservation NGO Aaranyak through a press statement emailed toady.
According to Aaranyak, tThe congress held from 20–25 July, brought together 657 registered delegates from 53 countries to evaluate the World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates for 2025–2027. The special session was chaired by renowned conservationist Dr Russell A Mittermeier, Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group.
Dr. Dilip Chetry, Director & Head of the Primate Research and Conservation Division in Aaranyak had a significant presence in the congress.
Dr. Chetry, who also serves as Vice Chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group – South Asia, attended the general assembly of the congress where 25 most endangered primates of the world were declared.
Among 25 most endangered primates of the world six are from Asia. The six primates are — Banka Slow Loris (Nycticebus bancanus), Sangihe Tarsier (Tarsius sangirensis), Pig-tailed Langur (Simias concolor), Myanmar Snub-nosed Monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri), Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis), and Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock).
Highlighting the status of the Western Hoolock Gibbon, the only ape of India, Dr Chetry stressed that it is one of 20 gibbon species found in the Asia and is currently listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Its distribution spans eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India, and parts of Myanmar, with populations in India restricted to the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River and east of the Dibang River, across seven Northeastern states: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura.
He flagged that the species is under grave threat from habitat loss due to encroachment, unregulated resource extraction, infrastructure development, tea plantations, shifting cultivation, fragmentation, hunting, and the illegal wildlife trade. Cases of local extinction have already been observed in fragmented forest patches of Northeast India, reflecting a steady population decline.
Dr. Chetry strongly advocated for urgent conservation actions, including the restoration of degraded habitats, creation of ecological corridors, scientific research, capacity building for forest staff, and community engagement. He also stressed the need to promote the Western Hoolock Gibbon as a flagship species to generate broader public and policy support for biodiversity conservation in the region.
Importantly, Dr. Chetry called on the Government of India to develop a dedicated Gibbon Conservation Action Plan for each state in Northeast India, leading toward a National Action Plan and dedicated budgetary support. He urged the central government to initiate a national-level “Project Gibbon”, modelled on Project Tiger or Project Elephant, to ensure the long-term survival of India’s only ape.