Global Gibbon Champion Awards
Annual wards to recognise outstanding work by habitat country conservationists for their efforts to save gibbons. In order to create and activate positive change in wildlife conservation, local NGO’s working for gibbon conservation need more access to opportunities, resources and networks.
The goal of the Global Gibbon Champion awards is to provide international recognition support for capacity strengthening and increased access to the opportunities and resources that local gibbon NGO’s need to prepare or continue their work in wildlife conservation. Each year two individuals, who are pursuing opportunities to further their own conservation career development and to engage their community in wildlife conservation, will receive an award based on the strength of their application. Applications must include participation in wildlife conservation activities; focus of work; statements of objectives; and 1 letter of recommendation. Further details to nominate a champion can be found here.
2024 Global Gibbon Champions!
Betsida Ch Marak (India) – Rescue Centers/Rehabilitation
Betsida Ch Marak is the manager and school director of the HURO Programme. The HURO Programme is located in Silsotchigre, a village in Garo Hills in the western state of Meghalaya, India. Huro means gibbon in Garo language! Betsida has been with the HURO Programme since 2010, and she has brought immense compassion, knowledge, and an extraordinary management style to the project. In 2011 she was appointed the Director of Sonja Wildlife Medium English School, and in 2018 she was selected as the manager of Sonja Wildlife Rescue Center. Her love for both gibbons and children has led her to uphold a strong commitment to HURO from the very beginning.
The HURO Programme’s goal is to protect the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) – India’s only species of ape. They have not only rescued and rehabilitated gibbons, they have also fostered community support for protecting the forests of this region that are essential to the survival of the western hoolock gibbon.
Please enjoy this video of Betsida – Center Manager & School Director, Pakseng A Sangma – Chairman & Programme Co-Founder, and Florian Magne (interviewer) – Programme Founder & Executive Director.
Made Wedana (Indonesia) – Rescue Centers/Rehabilitation
Made Wedana is the director of Aspinall Indonesia. The Aspinall Foundation in Indonesia focuses on the rehabilitation of rescued and confiscated primates from the illegal pet trade. The ultimate goal is to reintroduce the rehabilitated primates back to the wild! Although this process is not easy, and takes a lot of patience and care.
Made has been working with the Aspinall Foundation since 2010, and he oversees 3 centers – two in Java and one in Sumatra! Here he has worked with Javan or silvery gibbons (Hylobates moloch) and siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus).
Made is also passionate about incorporating local communities into all stages of conservation strategies. He encourages community participation in forest protection and develops tangible relationships between the forest ecosystems and the livelihoods of those living near the forest. Check out the hydropower program he talks about at the end of his video!
Atikul Islam Mithu (Bangladesh)- Wild
Mithu is an undergraduate student at Jagannath University in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is studying under the department of Zoology, but has a soft spot for our favorite singing, swinging ape!
In 2023 he began a research project called “Assessing the Conservation Priorities for the Globally Threatened Primates” with a focus on the western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock). The western hoolock gibbon is Bangladesh’s only ape species!
His passion for gibbon conservation is truly inspiring. Please enjoy this video of him describing his work, and stay to the end to see what Mithu discovered through his research project.
San Lwin (Myanmar) – Wild
San Lwin is a consultant for the Myanmar Biodiversity Fund. He is responsible for monitoring the eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leucondys) population in the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary, a large protected area in northern Myanmar. It isn’t easy tracking population growth of gibbons – they’re hard to spot when they’re high up in the treetops! San is an eastern hoolock song expert and able to identify groups just by their song and unique dialect.
He also works closely with communities in and around the Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary to encourage and develop sustainable land use practices that will benefit both humans and gibbons! Please enjoy this video of San Lwin telling us more about his project through the Myanmar Biodiversity Fund.