Why is a siamang special?

            A siamang is a black-furred ape found in the forests of Malaysia, Sumatra, and Thailand. It is the largest of the gibbons. The arms of a siamang can spread out for as much as 1.5 metres. This makes them very smart brachiators or primates that use an arm-over-arm swinging motion to move from one tree to another.

            However, in spite of their smartness and agility, the population of siamangs is shrinking at a scary pace. The major threats faced by the apes include loss and fragmentation of habitat, and capture for the pet trade. The forests inhabited by siamangs are destroyed due to logging, developmental activities etc.

            Yet another cause of danger is capture for illegal pet trade, especially of infant siamangs. There have been cases when the highly-protective mothers were shot, just to obtain young siamangs for sale.

Picture credit: google