In a heartwarming rescue operation, a female Western Hoolock Gibbon has been given a second chance at life in the wild after living with a local family for nearly 13 years. The endangered primate was rescued from Balmikram Village in North Garo Hills, Meghalaya, in a joint effort by the A’chik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM) and the Sonja Wildlife Rescue Team.
According to officials, the gibbon was adopted as an infant by a compassionate family after being found abandoned, likely orphaned, in a nearby forest. For over a decade, the family provided food and shelter in what experts call a “rare and touching example of human–animal coexistence.” Upon learning of the situation, wildlife groups intervened to provide the specialist care the gibbon needs.
“This rescue is not just about recovering an endangered animal — it is a story of human compassion and shared responsibility. We deeply appreciate the local family who nurtured the gibbon for over a decade, and the Sonja Wildlife Rescue team for their technical expertise,” an AHAM spokesperson stated.
The gibbon is now at the rescue centre, where she is receiving veterinary care and behavioural therapy to prepare her for a return to the forest.
AHAM President George Prince Ch. Momin lauded the operation as a “reflection of Meghalaya’s deep-rooted environmental ethics,” adding, “Every life in the wild matters.”
The Western Hoolock Gibbon, India’s only ape, is an Endangered species crucial for forest ecology through seed dispersal. Once experts confirm she has regained her natural instincts, she will be released back into a protected habitat.
