Status reassessment of the gibbons: Results of the Asian Primate Red List Workshop 2006

Abstract

The status of East Asian primate taxa was reassessed for the IUCN Red List at a workshop held from September 8 12, 2006, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This paper presents the results for the gibbons or small apes, and summarizes the resulting new information on their taxonomy, geographic range, population size, major threats, conservation measures, and conservation status using IUCN Red List categories and criteria. A comparison of the new assessment with the previous ones of 2000 (or 2003 for two gibbon species) reveals that 10 of 16 species and 9 of 12 subspecies – i.e. 86% of all gibbon taxa – have become more endangered within the last three to six years by at least one category of threat, and 39% of all gibbon taxa by two categories.