The morning mist clings to the hills of northern Thailand, a quiet backdrop to the stark reality unfolding at the Omkoi wildlife sanctuary. On the office veranda, a wildlife officer cradles a small, wide-eyed infant. Dressed in miniature baby clothes, the creature kicks and waves with a restless energy that feels hauntingly familiar. Here’s a lar gibbon (Hylobates lar), a species whose natural grace in the rainforest canopy has been traded for a life of confinement. The officer calls him Chokdee—Thai for “good luck”—though his presence here is a testament to a profound misfortune.
Chokdee was found alone in a local village, a newborn separated from the dense, protected forests that should have been his home. According to Karin Hirankailas, who leads the sanctuary, the infant was almost certainly taken by poachers who target the illegal trade in exotic pets. In the world of wildlife trafficking, the survival of an infant like Chokdee is rarely a solitary tragedy; for him to be captured, his mother was almost certainly killed. The illicit industry surrounding the sale of an endangered baby gibbon has reached a critical threshold, with experts noting that the demand for these primates as domestic curiosities is driving a cycle of destruction that threatens the survival of the species.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), gibbons represent one of the most threatened primate families on the planet. Of the 20 recognized species, five are classified as critically endangered, with the remainder listed as endangered or vulnerable. As human encroachment and habitat loss continue to shrink their range, the commercial demand for exotic pets has emerged as a primary driver of their decline. Data from the conservation organization TRAFFIC indicates that seizures of trafficked gibbons by authorities reached an all-time high in 2025, with Thailand serving as a significant hub for this illicit activity.
The Ecological Cost of the Pet Trade
The trade is not merely a matter of individual animals being removed from the wild; We see an assault on complex social structures. Susan Cheyne, vice-chair of the IUCN’s small apes section, notes that roughly 70% of gibbons encountered in the illegal trade are under two years old. These infants are favored by traffickers for their perceived “cuteness,” yet their capture creates a ripple effect of mortality. Research suggests that for every single gibbon that reaches the market, three or four others—often mothers or protective family members—are killed in the process.
“Imagine how it would affect a human baby to be torn from its mum before weaning,” says Cheyne. The trauma inflicted on the survivors is often fatal. Because gibbons are monogamous and live in tightly bonded, small family units, the loss of an adult member can lead to the total collapse of the family group. Juveniles left behind without the protection of their parents rarely survive the harsh conditions of the forest, often succumbing to predation or starvation.
A Biology Built for Defense, Not for Poachers
The evolutionary traits that allowed gibbons to thrive for millennia are the very factors that now leave them vulnerable to human exploitation. Chanpen Saralamba, a biologist at Mahidol University, has spent more than two decades observing gibbon families in Khao Yai national park. She describes the animals as fiercely territorial, often using loud, melodic “duet calls” to maintain pair bonds and define their territory. While these calls are a marvel of nature—audible from up to two kilometers away—they also serve as a beacon for poachers looking to locate family groups.
the protective behavior of adult males often proves fatal. Saralamba has documented instances where adult males intentionally draw attention to themselves, moving in the opposite direction of their mates and offspring in an attempt to distract perceived threats. While this strategy is highly effective against natural predators, it offers no defense against poachers armed with firearms. When the protective male is killed, the remaining family is left defenseless, and the infant is easily snatched.
The High Price of Traditional Markets
The threat extends beyond the pet trade. At the Salawin national park headquarters, situated near the border with Myanmar, the grim evidence of this industry is laid bare. Wildlife officers recently processed the remains of an adult male gibbon seized from poachers. Alongside the primate, the traffickers were carrying several carcasses of birds and squirrels, suggesting the animals were destined for local bushmeat markets or the trade in traditional “medicines.”
The loss of an adult male has long-term consequences for the population’s reproductive health. When a pair-bonded male is removed, the female often struggles to find a new mate. Even if a replacement is found, the new male is unlikely to accept the existing offspring, often leading to infanticide. Given that gibbons have a slow reproductive rate, with gaps of at least two years between births, these losses are often irrecoverable, pushing local populations toward a silent extinction.
The Struggle for Rehabilitation
For individuals like Chokdee, the path forward is fraught with uncertainty. Karin Hirankailas notes that the chances of successfully returning an orphaned gibbon to the wild are slim. Because these apes require intense social bonding with their mothers during their first two years of life, the trauma of early separation often leaves them unable to learn the complex survival skills—such as brachiation and social hierarchy navigation—needed in the wild.
Conservationists are calling for more rigorous enforcement of anti-poaching laws and an increased focus on the online platforms where these animals are advertised. In Indonesia alone, reports have highlighted hundreds of instances where infant gibbons were listed for sale on social media platforms between 2015 and 2019, illustrating the scale of the digital marketplace that facilitates this trade.
As the international community continues to monitor the status of endangered primates, the focus remains on closing the gaps in wildlife protection. Future efforts are expected to center on enhanced regional cooperation between Southeast Asian nations and tighter regulation of cross-border wildlife movement. For now, Chokdee remains at the sanctuary, a symbol of the fragile existence of his kind. His future, and the future of his species, will depend on whether global conservation policies can move faster than the poachers who continue to target the rainforest’s most vulnerable inhabitants.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on the challenges facing global biodiversity and the efforts required to combat the illegal wildlife trade. More information on the ongoing status of endangered species can be found through official IUCN Red List updates.
