Monitoring Gibbons in Cambodia

The Veun Sai-Siem Pang National Park (VSSPNP), located in the north of Cambodia, may be the only place in the world where tourists can reliably see the yellow-cheeked crested gibbon (Nomascus annamensis). Conservation International has been working in the national park since 2007 and supported the official designation as a National Park for legal protection for the 57,500-hectare area in 2016.

With the discovery of a new gibbon species in 2010, our goal is to secure this global population stronghold for the northern yellow-cheeked crested gibbon. Furthermore, we are working to improve protected area management and law enforcement, engaging with local communities to develop alternative livelihoods, and conducting outreach programs on the importance of forest protection.

As part of a long-term wildlife monitoring program, our team conducted gibbon surveys in 2022 throughout the 57,000-hectare park.

A comparison with a similar survey from 2010 indicated a slight increase in group density per km sq from 0.32 to 0.45. This shows that the number of groups has also increased from 179 to 240, increasing the estimated population from 714 to 962 gibbons.

The positive increase in gibbons in VSSPNP indicates that this globally significant population is stable. Therefore, conservation and protected area management are critical for this species and to make this area a global population stronghold.

 “Long-term wildlife monitoring is vital, and the surveys conducted help determine the impact of forest protection on gibbon populations. In addition, we engage communities to focus on alternative livelihoods, such as growing organic rice that is friendly to wildlife and ecotourism. Our team continues to support the governance of the VSSPNP,” said Jackson Frechette, Senior Technical Director at Conservation International Cambodia.

 This work is supported by IUCN Save Our Species and the Arcus Foundation.