London Zoo: Hainan black-crested gibbons

Endangered animals include blue whales, giant pandas, tigers, rhinos, and of course a lot of primates. Though endangered primates such as gorillas, lemurs, orangutans, and spider monkeys are well-known, few people have even heard of the Hainan black-crested gibbon, but it is the rarest and most endangered of them all.

Gibbons are called “lesser apes” to distinguish them from the “great apes,” which is the group name for orangutans, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans. Like other gibbons, Hainan black-crested gibbons brachiate, which means they swing through the trees with their long arms. Another trait they share with the other 19 species of gibbons is that they sing. In most species, including the Hainan black-crested gibbon, males and females perform duets to form pair bonds and to defend