Your search for India’s only APE ends at Hoolongopar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, North East India

The Hoolongopar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary is possibly one of the best wildlife sanctuaries I have visited in India. The reason is plain and simple. It is one of the few places where you can see India’s only ape – The Hoolock Gibbon.

Female Hoolock Gibbon poses for my camera

The Hoolock Gibbon, its chatter, its singing, its mad swinging, its one arm leaps and everything around it is a teaser for your senses. They are truly special. Apart from the Gibbon, one can also see the Capped Langaur and the Pig-Tailed Macaque here, both of which are rare and endangered species of primates.

Adult Male Hoolock Gibbon

For those who are thinking of visiting this sanctuary, it is situated about 30 kilometres from the popular tourist town of Jorhat in Assam and about 7 kilometres from the stolen goods town of Mariani, a popular shopping destination for imported goods in Assam.

Adult Male Hoolock Gibbon stares on…

And if you want to couple this visit with your visit to Kaziranga National Park, then you can say that the Gibbon sanctuary is about a three hour drive from Kaziranga’s central range.

A Leaping Male Hoolock Gibbon
In terms of accommodation, you can either make Kaziranga as your base or stay at more basic forest guest houses near the Gibbon Sanctuary. The forest department has knowledgeable forest guides who will ensure that your wildlife experience here is special.