Abstract
The Western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) occurs in the forests of Northeastern India, found in the following states : Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. In this article, we discuss the published information on distribution of Hoolock gibbons in Assam and other areas of Northeast. Several studies were carried out on the presence or absence from the protected areas but Hoolock gibbons are also present outside the protected areas particularly in Reserve Forest (RF), Private Forest (PF) and Community Forest (CF) and Village Reserve Forest (VRF). The distribution status of Hoolock gibbon in Northeast India is still not conclusively known. In the presence of above facts, this paper briefly reviews the studies on Western hoolock gibbon across its distribution range in Northeast India because it is essential to understand the population status and distribution of any endangered species like Hoolock gibbon for formulating action plan for their conservation.
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