'Star Wars gibbon' spotted in SW China

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Six skywalker hoolock gibbons were recently caught playing by a camera hidden by researchers in a natural reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The footage, shot last Friday, shows a skywalker hoolock gibbon sitting on a tree and looking around as if searching for something in the Tongbiguan National Nature Reserve.

An eastern hoolock gibbon walking with both hands up in Gaoligong Mountains National Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, China. /VCG Photo

At present, there are three species of hoolock gibbons: western hoolock gibbon, eastern hoolock gibbon and skywalker hoolock gibbon. The skywalker hoolock gibbon in the video, also named Gaoligong hoolock gibbon, is a new species discovered by scientists in the forests of the Gaoligong Mountains in January 2017.

An eastern hoolock gibbon in Gaoligong Mountains National Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, China. /VCG Photo

"The footage we got on the morning of Jan. 4 shows six gibbons, including one mother gibbon and her baby. The forest ranger reported that the baby gibbon was born less than a month ago," said Yang Zhenghua, Director of the Tongbiguan Natural Reserve Management and Protection Bureau. There are no more than 150 skywalker hoolock gibbons in China.

This species of gibbon is named for the famous “Star Wars” character Skywalker and shares a similar haircut with the Marvel character Wolverine. They live in the tropical forests of eastern Myanmar and southwest China's Yunnan Province. Native to Tengchong and Yingjiang counties, the endangered skywalker hoolock gibbon is under first-class state protection in China.

A pair of eastern hoolock gibbon in Gaoligong Mountains National Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, China. /VCG Photo

The Gaoligong Mountain is also known as the "World Nature Museum" and the "World Species Gene Pool" for its rich biodiversity. To study the region's species, the reserve has introduced an online observation system. There are 20 observation spots equipped with high-definition cameras and long-distance data transmission equipment to monitor the rare wild animals in 24 hours.