Assam: Primate protection highlighted at Kaziranga on International Primate Day

Guwahati: Kaziranga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, buzzed with purpose as it hosted International Primate Day on Monday in collaboration with Aaranyak, a leading biodiversity group.

The event, blending education and action, drew students and Eco-Development Committee (EDC) members to champion Assam’s endangered primates, like the Western hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape.

A guided "Primate Walk" through Rhinoland Park immersed participants in lush habitats where gibbons swing.

 “Seeing them in their home inspires us to protect them,” said  a local student, her eyes bright with awe. 

The walk emphasized community roles in tackling habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict, critical as Assam’s forests face mounting pressures.

The event’s centerpiece was a canopy bridge-building demonstration. Using eco-friendly jute ropes, participants crafted crossings to help primates navigate highways safely, reducing roadkill.

“These bridges are lifelines for gibbons,” an Aaranyak conservationist, knotting ropes with students. Such innovations, inspired by global successes like Brazil’s monkey crossings and Sumatra’s orangutan bridges, reconnect fragmented forests in Kaziranga, home to over 2,600 rhinos.

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Since 2005, International Primate Day has spotlighted the world’s over five hundred primate species, many endangered by deforestation and poaching.

 “Kaziranga shows conservation is everyone’s job,” said a park ranger , watching students cheer. As climate change and infrastructure threaten habitats, Kaziranga’s blend of local wisdom and science offers a global model. 

These efforts ensure Assam’s primates swing freely, their survival a testament to shared resolve.