Kachijan ’s Hoolock Gibbons: A Love Story with a Dash of Neglect
Discover the hidden presence of Hoolock Gibbons in Kachijan village, Tinsukia, Assam. This article explores the bond between the villagers and these rare primates, highlighting the environmental challenges they face and the efforts of local conservationists to protect them
In the quiet heart of Assam’s Tinsukia district lies Kachijan, a village relatively unknown to the world but famous amongst its residents for a peculiar lot of neighbours: the Hoolock Gibbons. While these elusive creatures are known to inhabit the famed Dehing Patkai National Park, only the keen-eyed and intrepid souls of Kachijan and its surroundings seem aware of the rare gibbons living within their midst. Meanwhile, it appears our intrepid government officials and environmentalists may need a new prescription – for they seem to have turned a blind eye.
The Hoolock Gibbons, charming, furry daredevils with that distinctive whooping call, swing through the trees not only in the Dehing Patkai forests and Barekuri but also in more modest nooks like Kachijan and Barajan Wildlife Sanctuary. However, unlike their famous cousins in the more ‘tourist-friendly’ parks, Kachijan’s gibbons remain in a tight spot, facing unchecked deforestation and the ever-creeping menace of development. The Kachijan Reserve Forest, adjacent to Kachijan village and the sprawling Koomsong Tea Estate, is being steadily chewed away. Local whispers have it that some employees of the forest department are helping to chip away at the precious forest, leaving our poor gibbons less space to whoop about.
As things stand, about six gibbons are regularly spotted on the edges of Kachijan. On Wednesday, Papul Gogoi, a determined young environmentalist, spotted three gibbons taking a rather public stroll through the courtyard of one Rahendra Moran. A proud moment, you might say – especially for Gogoi, who after months of fruitless searching, finally got his moment in the sun. He announced his triumph with much fanfare on social media, to the delight of local gibbon enthusiasts.
“Our gibbons have been here long before Kachijan itself,” declared Narendra Moran, a resident, with no small amount of pride. And indeed, the villagers of Kachijan seem to share a remarkable bond with their swinging neighbours, treating them with respect that’s typically reserved for family. When tragedy struck in 2022 and again in June 2023, with two gibbons perishing due to a storm and a stray power line, the villagers honoured the departed creatures with the same rites they’d perform for their own kin.
Yet, despite the villagers’ reverence, Kachijan’s gibbons remain largely overlooked. With little support from official quarters, it’s up to local heroes like Papul Gogoi, and the willing youths of Lihiri Eco Club, to bring attention to their plight. As the mighty Hoolock Gibbon whoops into the wind, it’s time the government tuned in and played a more supportive role. After all, these delightful primates are family – just a bit furrier and slightly more acrobatic.
In the end, one hopes that if the gibbons’ well-being doesn’t inspire action, perhaps the pride and persistence of Kachijan’s residents will. For in Kachijan, it seems, everyone is a bit of a conservationist at heart. The Hoolock Gibbons’ quiet guardianship is certainly safe in their hands.
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