Skywalker saga
New hope as a rare gibbon named after the Star Wars hero has been discovered living in Myanmar
First identified in 2017 by a group of Star Wars-loving scientists, the Skywalker hoolock gibbon was known only to exist in China, with fewer than 200 individuals. While experts suspected the distribution of the arboreal primate extended into Myanmar, a complex history of civil ethnic conflict in the country made it impossible to verify this theory. Now, new research published in the International Journal of Primatology proves that the species’ range does indeed spread into the South-East Asian nation.
Between December 2021 and March 2023, a field team, led by Fauna & Flora International and Nature Conservation Society Myanmar, undertook expeditions to six sites in Myanmar’s Kachin State and three sites in Shan State to determine the presence of Skywalker gibbons. The study involved the use of acoustic monitoring systems, which were set up at the sites. Each morning, the researchers listened to the Skywalker gibbons’ loud vocal displays to identify their locations.
The team also collected samples of plants and fruits discarded by the gibbons and analysed the material in a DNA/
RNA Shield. This non-invasive DNA-sampling technique enabled the researchers to confirm 44 new groups of Skywalker gibbon in Myanmar. The exact number of individuals is unknown.
Ngwe Lwin, who led the expedition, says that the confirmation of Skywalker gibbons is “a significant discovery for the future of primate conservation in Myanmar,” whilst conceding that “while there are now more confirmed groups of Skywalker gibbons in the wild, it is feared that their populations are fast declining due to habitat degradation and loss, and poaching”.
Currently, just 4 per cent of Myanmar’s existing protected areas offers suitable habitat for Skywalker gibbons. The paper recommends combining governmentorganised protection with community protected areas. Two communities have already shown an interest in establishing protected areas, with one willing to start an awareness programme to prevent hunting of the endangered primate.
“Now more than ever, it is recognised that the collective efforts of stakeholders – including governments, communities and indigenous peoples’ groups – are the only effective way to protect and save our closest living relatives,” says Lwin.