Experts thrilled as cameras capture newborn creatures high in jungle treetops: 'Seeing it reminded me of my own children'

The critically endangered Cao-vit gibbon is making progress toward recovery, according to Mongabay. A recent report by conservation group Fauna & Flora celebrated two newborns in northern Vietnam in 2024.

"It is very rare that we observe baby gibbons," said Tho Duc Nguyen, Fauna & Flora Vietnam program project manager, per Mongabay. "This is a sign that the number of gibbons can increase in the troop and expand the living area, bringing a better future for the Cao-vit gibbon."

Cao-vit gibbons produce offspring relatively slowly, with females giving birth every four years. Even then, Fauna & Flora spotted only one to three per year across four different troops in the region from 2020-25. With a population of fewer than 50 mature adults and 74 individuals, this rate of growth is highly precarious.

Cao-vit gibbons were thought to have gone extinct because of overhunting until they were rediscovered in 2002. Conservation officers have since monitored the groups they could find, but challenging terrain has been an obstacle. New technology such as drones and thermal cameras has been helpful in producing more accurate data.

Hunting remains a threat to such small populations, with demand driven by the fur trade and traditional medicine. The live trade of gibbons is a factor as well. Combined with habitat loss from logging and agriculture, wild species across the board are in trouble.

Certain protections are proving useful, however. Cao-vit gibbon hunters face up to 15 years in jail and $78,000 in fines. The folks at Fauna & Flora are hopeful that the return of the Cao-vit gibbon can reinvigorate local ecosystems.

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"This was the smallest baby gibbon I had ever seen and seeing it reminded me of my own children as babies being cared for by my wife," Nguyen said. "This is amazing and an encouraging sign of hope for the species' population, which is currently very low, and highlights the critical importance of long-term ongoing monitoring and conservation efforts in Cao Bằng."

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