Taxonomy
Mootnick and Groves stated that hoolock gibbons do not belong in the genus '' Bunopithecus'', and placed them in a new genus, '' Hoolock''. This genus was argued to contain two distinct species which were previously thought to be subspecies: '' Hoolock hoolock'' and ''Hoolock leuconedys''. The ranges of the two species are unclear and may overlap, and intermediates may occur.Habitat and ecology
The eastern hoolock gibbon is a forest-dwelling primate that prefers a continuous canopy, which makes them vulnerable to loss of habitat. They can be found in deciduous or evergreen forests. They also reside in partially deciduous hill forests as well as broadleaf pine forests, and can be found as high as 2,700 m in elevation in northeastern Myanmar. The eastern hoolock gibbon has been found in tropical environments that experience monsoon rains and have cool, dry winters. and lowland tropical environments. The eastern hoolock gibbon is an omnivorous animal, with fruits making up the majority of its diet at about 65%, with 60% of the fruits being figs. They also eat lichens, invertebrates, bird eggs, plant parts (buds, shoots, leaves, flowers), and insects. The majority of what they eat depends on their location and the density of the available resources, but fruits always show to be their most dominant food type. Gibbon groups sleep in trees that are close to each other, focusing on the tallest canopy trees, and tend to choose areas located either on hilltops or slopes. They also sleep in a fetal position with their arms hugging their knees into their chests. Gibbons are more active in the summer, awaking earlier in the day than in the winter, and socialize more with each other while being awake for about 8–10 hours a day, sleeping shortly before dusk arrives. They have food competition with Malayan giant squirrels, so chase them away from their food resources, but are subject to attacks by thrushes, magpies, and drongos, with the drongos being the most aggressive over food.Threats
The primary threat facing this species is habitat loss and degradation due to human activities, such as logging, mining, construction, and agriculture.Gron KJ. 2008 August 13. Primate Factsheets: Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock) Conservation .Conservation
So far, China has created the Gaoligongshan and Tongbiguan National Nature Reserves that currently house small populations of the eastern hoolock gibbon, and the Mahamyaing Sanctuary in Myanmar also acts as a gibbon shelter, as does the Hukaung Valley Tiger Reserve, which has noted that some gibbons live within its boundaries. Within Arunachal Pradesh, the Forest Department has been working with the Wildlife Trust of India to transfer gibbon groups to the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Biological Park of Itanagar has created a program to captive-breed this species and release them into the wild with the collaboration of the Central Zoo Authority. India has also made killing or capturing the eastern hoolock gibbon illegal, but has few resources to be able to enforce the laws, thus is more focused on protecting larger mammals.References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q602511 eastern hoolock gibbon Primates of East Asia Mammals of Myanmar Fauna of Yunnan Vulnerable fauna of Asia eastern hoolock gibbon Taxa named by Colin Groves