Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary

Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary[1][2]
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock)
Located in Northeast India
Located in Northeast India
Location in Assam, India
LocationJorhat, Assam, India
Nearest cityJorhat City
Coordinates26°43′00″N 94°23′00″E / 26.716667°N 94.383333°E / 26.716667; 94.383333
Area2,098.62 ha (8.1 sq mi)
Established1997

The Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, formerly known as the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary or Hollongapar Reserved Forest (Assamese: হোলোঙাপাৰ গিবন অভয়াৰণ্য), is an isolated protected area of evergreen forest located in Assam, India. The sanctuary was officially constituted and renamed in 1997. Set aside initially in 1881, its forests used to extend to the foothills of the Patkai mountain range.

Since then, the forest has been fragmented and surrounded by tea gardens and small villages. In the early 1900s, artificial regeneration was used to a develop well-stocked forest, resulting in the site's rich biodiversity. The Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary contains India's only ape and gibbon specie – the hoolock gibbons,[3] and Northeastern India's only nocturnal primate – the Bengal slow loris.

The upper canopy of the forest is dominated by the hollong tree (Dipterocarpus retusus), while the nahar (Mesua ferrea) dominates the middle canopy. The lower canopy consists of evergreen shrubs and herbs. The habitat is threatened by illegal logging, encroachment of human settlements, and habitat fragmentation.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ghosh2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference protectedplanet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Anand, Ashvita (25 November 2023). "In Assam, railway line expansion and electrification threaten the hoolock gibbon, India's only ape". Scroll.in. Retrieved 26 November 2023.