GUWAHATI: In a significant development for wildlife conservation in Assam, a male western hoolock gibbon was documented using a canopy bridge installed over the Lumding–Dibrugarh railway line passing through Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary on the morning of Friday, May 15.
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The development is being seen as an important milestone in gibbon conservation efforts in India, as the specially designed canopy bridge was created to help arboreal wildlife safely cross the railway track running through the sanctuary.
The canopy bridge structures were jointly designed and installed by the Assam Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India with guidance and support from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Reacting to the development, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said it was encouraging to see mitigation measures such as canopy bridges being used by hoolock gibbons in Assam.
“This shows science-led small-scale efforts can also be of great help in biodiversity conservation,” Yadav stated in a post on X.
