1. DO NOT purchase gibbons, or products derived from gibbons

Many animals are poached each year to be used for the pet trade or to make exotic merchandise. These activities are often illegal, and are always detrimental to the wild animal populations. For many species, humans are the worst predator.

2. DO NOT take photographs with illegal baby gibbons 

These animals are taken from the wild and exploited as tourist attractions. In the case of wild gibbons, the parents are killed in order to obtain the baby gibbon. The baby gibbon does not always survive the fall from the canopy once the mother is killed, so in most cases, many gibbons are killed to obtain just one baby. If these actions continue to be financially supported by tourists, gibbons will one day be extinct.

3. By supporting the conservation of the rainforest

You are protecting the gibbons’ habitat and preventing the main cause for their endangered status – deforestation. In doing this, you are protecting crucial habitat for Thailand’s wildlife and endangered species. The main cause of most species’ endangered status is deforestation. You should avoid purchasing products which are obtained from the rainforest through habitat destruction.

To have a gibbon in captivity has been illegal since 1992, but it is still a large problem. If you see an illegal wildlife trade or illegal poachers, please inform the National Park, Wildlife and Plant Department or local police. Unfortunately, we do not have the legal authority to confiscate these animals, but we would be more than happy to forward the information to those who do. If you have seen any of pet trade report us.

• Contact the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation at 02-561-0777 and press 9 for English, or 1362 (hotline number)

• Contact the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, Royal Thai Police at 1136 (hotline number)