Gibbons to Be Reintroduced to Angkor Forest

A pair of endangered pileated gibbons will be released today into the forest in the Angkor Archaeological Park, the beginning of a project that could see the resettlement of many other animals that had been extirpated from the area, wildlife experts said. “We are hoping that if all goes well with the gibbons, this could be the start of reintroducing other species that used to live there and are appropriate,” said Nick Marx, rescue and care program director of Wildlife Alliance, which heads the resettlement project together with the Apsara Authority—responsible for managing the World Heritage Site—and the Forestry Administration. ... The two gibbons, which have reached reproductive age, were born in Phnom Tamao Zoological Park and Wildlife Rescue Center. As they were raised by their own mothers, they have developed relatively natural simian behavior, unlike small gibbons rescued from wildlife traffickers. ... For more than a decade, many species of wildlife have been hunted inside the park, but better management of the forest and laws that prohibit hunting have made it possible to reintroduce gibbons, Im Sokrithy, spokesperson for the Apsara Authority, said. ...

 Denise Hruby
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/gibbons-to-be-reintroduced-to-angkor-forest-49157/