White-Handed Gibbon

Scientific Name: Hylobates Lar

Gibbons have very long arms used for brachiation, a spectacular arm-swinging motion that allows for quick travel through the trees. Learn more about white-handed gibbons.

  • Size:
    • Weight: 9 to 13 pounds
    • Head-to-Body Length: 17 to 20 inches
  • Diet: fruit, mainly figs, shoots, leaves, flowers, some insects
  • Habitat: semi-deciduous monsoon forests, tropical evergreen forests, and bamboo forests
  • Range in the Wild: Southern and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the area from Southern China to Eastern Burma

Conservation Status

Listed as Endangered. In the wild, gibbons face rapid habitat loss, capture for illegal pet trade and being hunted for its meat.

Revised 4/29/26

  1. 1 White-Handed Gibbon Sitting in Enclosure
  2. 2 White-Handed Gibbon Swinging Around