Orphaned baby gibbons rescued from wildlife traffickers overwhelm indonesian rehabilitation centers

Three infant gibbons—two siamangs and one Javan gibbon—now huddle together in a rescue center after Indonesian naval forces intercepted their traffickers in the Strait of Malacca in March 2025. The babies, barely six months old, represent the devastating human cost of Southeast Asia’s illegal wildlife trade, where mother primates are typically killed so poachers can capture and sell their young as exotic pets.

The rescued gibbons arrived at the Sumatran Rescue Alliance rehabilitation center near Gunung Leuser National Park, where they’re receiving critical care. The two siamang orphans cling to each other for comfort—a heartbreaking behavior that mimics how they would have sought warmth and security from their murdered mothers. Meanwhile, the tiny Javan gibbon remains withdrawn and fearful of human contact, though it has begun eating.

“The Javan gibbon is still shy,” explains Sinan Serhadli, a support officer with the gibbon rehabilitation program. “He will eat, but he doesn’t want any contact with humans.” The intercepted boat was believed to be headed for Malaysia or Thailand, common destinations in the regional wildlife trafficking network.

This rescue highlights a growing crisis facing conservation centers across North Sumatra, where the volume of trafficked primates is pushing rehabilitation facilities beyond their capacity. Both siamang and Javan gibbons face severe population pressures in the wild, making each individual critically important for species survival. The rehabilitation process for these traumatized infants will be lengthy and complex, requiring specialized care before they can potentially be returned to their forest homes.