India's only ape, and most people have never heard of it
The hoolock gibbon holds a distinction no other animal in India shares: it is the country's only ape. Not a monkey, an ape, which means no tail, a larger brain-to-body ratio, and a level of cognitive and social complexity that puts it closer to humans and chimpanzees than to the langurs or macaques most Indians are familiar with. Two species live in India. The western hoolock (Hoolock hoolock) occupies forests in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Mizoram. The eastern hoolock (Hoolock leuconedys) is found in parts of Arunachal Pradesh. The IUCN lists the western hoolock as Endangered, with fewer than 5,000 individuals estimated to remain in India.
