The Gibbon Network

Gibbon Documentaries
This page offers a list of, and comments on, video or tv documentaries on gibbons. You might need to download Windows Media Player , Apple QuickTime , or other video player software to see the downloadable films or trailers. If any of the information and references presented on this page are incorrect or incomplete, please contact the webmaster. Please let me know, if you know a gibbon documentary that is missing from this list.
Title: "Javan gibbon: Story from Petungkriyono forest" Original title: Owa Jawa: Cerita dari Hutan Petungkriyono Duration: 13 min Year: 2010 Production: Inspiro Production (www.inspiroproduction.com) Endangered Primate Conservation Project Producer: Arif Setiawan Director: Wisnu Prabowo Editing: Iting Camera: Wisnu and Teja Yuwana Gibbon Locality: Petungkriyono forest, central Java, Indonesia Language: Bahasa Indonesia. There is also a version with English subtitles. Summary: This documentary presents a nice introduction to biology of, and conservation issues regarding, the endangered Javan silvery gibbon (Hylobates moloch). Press this button to watch or download a low resolution copy of the documentary (version with English subtitles). This may take some time, considering the large size of the file (mp4-format, 44 MB).
Title: "Cao vit gibbon census" Duration: 19 min Year: 2008 (filmed 2007) Production: Wild China Film (www.wildchina.cn) Copyright: Wild China Film (www.wildchina.cn) and Fauna & Flora International (www.fauna-flora.org) Gibbon Locality: Jingxi county, Guangxi province, SW China Language: Mandarin. There is also a version with English subtitles. Summary: This program documents a census survey of the cao-vit crested gibbon (Nomascus nasutus) of China that was conducted in 2007. The only confirmed population of this critically endangered ape occurs in a single patch of forest that covers parts of Jingxi county in Guangxi province of southwestern China and a bordering area in the Trung Khanh district of Cao Bang province (NE Vietnam). The total population of this species is estimated at about 18 groups. Press this button to watch or download a low resolution copy of the documentary (version with English subtitles). This may take some time, considering the large size of the file (mp4-format, 122.1 MB).
Title: "Wild China" Duration: Six episodes of 60 min each Year: 2008 Production: BBC Natural History Unit and China Central Television (CCTV). Filmed entirely in high-definition (HD). Producers: Phil Chapman, Gao Xiaoping Gibbon Locality: Wuliang Mountains, Yunnan province Series commercially available as 2-DVD set. Internet host of the series in low resolutuion: www.mazalien.com/wild-china.html Summary of the series: A nature documentary series on the natural history of China revealing "the little-known natural treasures and secret wildlife havens of China's wildest regions." Gibbon footage is shown in Episode 2 only. Episode 2 (of 6): Shangri-La (First broadcast in the UK on 18 May 2008) Duration: 60 min Summary: This episode profiles the rich biodiversity of south-western Yunnan province. Animals shown include, among others, Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, Temminck's tragopan, bear macaques, black giant squirrels, Asian elephants, lesser bamboo bats, and black crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor). The gibbon footage has a duration of about 2.5 minutes.
Titles: "Raising baby Iwani" episodes 1 and 2 Duration: Two episodes of 30 min each of the series "The Zoo Life at Auckland Zoo" Year: 2006 Production: Greenstone Pictures, www.greenstonepictures.com/ Gibbon Locality: Auckland Zoo, New Zealand Summary: After the death of his twin sister and rejection by his mother, the future for Iwani - a six-week-old siamang gibbon at Auckland Zoo, New Zealand - looked bleak, except for the help of senior primate keeper Christine Tintinger. Despite the zoo having a policy restricting human interaction with its animals, Christine became a surrogate mother for baby Iwani. This documentary follows Christine as she develops an integration plan that would see little Iwani stay in as much close contact with his family as possible. Each stage of the integration took months, with Christine relying on instinct and over 25 years of experience as a primate keeper to judge when the time was right to introduce Iwani firstly to his brother, then father, and finally his mother.
Title: "The life of mammals" Duration: 430 min Year: 2002 10 episodes Production: BBC, in conjunction with The Discovery Channel Gibbon Locality: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand Summary of the series: A natural history television series devoted to mammals. It consists of ten episodes, written and presented by David Attenborough. It premiered on BBC 1 on 20 November 2002. Episode 8 (of 10): Life in the trees Duration: 43 min Summary: A range of adaptations from sucker-feet to gripping tails help the tree dwellers to survive, and in the dark forest super senses come in to play. This part includes a 2-minute gibbon section. It is focusing on the gibbons' fast and acrobatic brachiation through the tree-tops. Comments: Some of the gibbon footage used stems from the BBC documentary "Up with the gibbons" of 1999 (see below).
Title: "Mission Kalaweit. La protection des gibbons en Indonésie" Duration: 25 min Year: 2001 Production: France 5 television. Available from www.vodeo.tv Gibbon Locality: Kalawait Rehabilitation Centre, Kalimantan, Indonesia Original French summary of this program (from www.vodeo.tv): "A Bornéo, près de Palangkara, la capitale de la province, se trouve une clinique vétérinaire spécialisée dans la protection des primates. En Indonésie, les orangs-outangs et les gibbons sont victimes de la déforestation et de la chasse. Les gibbons sont également arrachés à leur milieu naturel par les habitants: ils sont plus de 150 dans la seule ville de Palangkara à en posséder un comme animal de compagnie. A 20 ans, Aurélien Brûlé est le tout jeune directeur du premier programme de protection des gibbons d'Indonésie. Son but: reconstituer les familles de singes et les réhabituer progressivement à la vie sauvage. En suivant l'action de ce jeune homme passionné par les gibbons, ce documentaire alerte sur les dangers qui menacent ces singes. Il montre notamment toute la difficulté à les réadapter à leur milieu naturel." Summary: This program shows the gibbons (mostly Hylobates agilis albibarbis) at the Kalaweit Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre in Borneo and documents the conservation efforts by Aurélien Brûlé, the founder of the centre. Press this button to watch or download a trailer of the documentary (mov-format, 3.7 MB, from www.vodeo.tv).
Title: "Les Chroniques de l'Asie sauvage" or "Chroniques de la jungle perdue" or "Untamed Asia" Duration: 312 min Year: 2001 A film series of 6 episodes by Laurent Frapat and Frédéric Lepage. Narrator: Pierre Arditi Production: Télé Images Nature, in collaboration with France 3. Gibbon Locality: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand, and unspecified zoos Original French liner notes of the DVD edition: "Nous voici replongés au pied des monts Thanen Thong Dan, au coeur de la jungle sauvage du sud est asiatique. L'occasion de partager les aventures de Pra Djann la tigresse, de ses enfants Koumpa et Tcha, de Wan l'éléphante et de Sikao et Wao les cigognes. Pierre Arditi nous entraîne par son talent au coeur de la jungle perdue dans une aventure hors du commun à la découverte des naissances, des morts, des premiers pas, des amours et des peurs de la faune sauvage." Summary of the series: This programme documents the wild life in the jungles of South-east Asia. According to the liner notes, the footage was taken in the Tanen Tong Dan mountain range in western Thailand. The series includes several sections on gibbons in episodes 1, 4, 5 and 6. Other primates featured include the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), the pig-tailed macacque (M. leonina), the Phayre's leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei), and the Bengal slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis). "Episode 1 (of 6): L'archipel vert" Duration: 52 min Summary of the gibbon section: A pair of pileated gibbons (Hylobates pileatus) exhibits rapid locmotion, unusual positionary behaviour, and duet singing. Comments: The gibbon section has a duration of 2.7 minutes, and the footage obviously is of captive gibbons. In the background, calls of other pileated gibbons can also be heard. During the gibbon section, the narrator explains that male lar gibbons have black fur and females are blonde. While this is true of the pileated gibbons shown in the film, it does not apply to white-handed or lar gibbons (H. lar) which are currently recognised as a distinct species. "Episode 4 (of 6): Samsara" Duration: 52 min Original French liner notes on the gibbon section: "... A trente mètres de haut, les gibbons ont établi leur territoire. Les cris d'alerte de leurs congénères interrompent une séance d'épouillage. ..." Summary of the gibbon section: A pair of nothern white-cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys leucogenys) exhibits social grooming and duet singing. Comments: The gibbon section has a duration of 3 minutes. The narrator claims that the gibbon were filmed in the wild, but this is not true. White-cheeked crested gibbons are not distributed in Thailand but occur only east of the Mekong river. In the background, calls of a male pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus) and a female white-handed gibbon (H. lar) can also be heard, which makes it very obvious that the gibbons were filmed at a zoo. "Episode 5 (of 6): Les prisonniers" Duration: 50 min Original French liner notes for the gibbon section: "Deux tigres indochinois, Pang et Sua, jouent innocemment dans la jungle. Mais ils ont empiété sur le territoire de Taloum le gibbon qui, habilement suspendu aux petites branches, vient littéralement leur tirer les oreilles..." Summary of the gibbon section: A young white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar) playfully keeps attacking two young tigers without ever getting caught by them. The gibbon appears to enjoy it, the tigers maybe less so. Comments: I am not sure where the gibbon footage of this episode was filmed, but it obviously shows captive animals. It may have been filmed at the Khao Pratabchang Wildlife Breeding Center in Rachaburi, West Thailand. The short gibbon section (3 min 20s) of this episode is very popular: An edited version of it was presented in tv shows of various countries and can be downloaded from several websites on "funny movies". Press this button to watch or download a low resolution copy of the gibbon & tiger clip (wmv-format, 8.8 MB). "Episode 6 (of 6): L'envol" Duration: 50 min Summary of the gibbon section: Short takes of locomotion, feeding, and calling behaviour of white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar). Comments: This episode appears to the only one of the series to include footage of wild gibbons. The gibbon footage has a duration of 4 minutes and was probably filmed at the Khao Yai National Park.
Title: "Thailands Gibbons - Akrobaten im Urwalddach" Duration: 35 min Year: 2001 Produced by VOX, Germany Gibbon Localities: Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre, and Khao Yai National Park, Thailand Summary: The first part of this documentary shows the white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) at the Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre and visits some of the gibbons that have been released on one of the small islands in the Phangnga Bay. The documentary then portrays a scientific field study that is being conducted on the social life of white-handed gibbons at the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. Special attention is paid to the group of the adult female "Brenda". Her group is particularly interesting because it includes a second, unrelated female, and because the group's adult male is expelled by an immigrating male.
Title: "Gibbons Release (Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures)" Duration: 20 min Year: 2001 Produced and distributed by VideoTours, Inc. = VT Entertainment, 1070 Commerce Drive, Perrysburg, OH 43551, U.S.A. (www.vtetv.com ). Also available through http://66.70.186.203/ Gibbon Locality: Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Summary: Jack Hanna visits the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project of the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation in Phuket, Thailand to assist in the release of the "Phuket Four," rehabilitated white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar). At the Project, Jack assists in the preparation food for the captive gibbons. The gibbons are seen swinging, running along the ground and eating. Territorial vocalizations can be heard. Kathaleen Hanna visits an island in the Phangnga Bay that is home to four rehabilitated gibbons. Hanna also visits a rubber tree area to show how natural rubber is collected and processed.
Title: "Singing apes" Duration: 30 min Year: 2000 A film by Jan Röed & Magnus Enquist, with Björn Merker, Sweden. Distributed by Charon Film (www.charon.se) Gibbon Localities: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand; Siberut, Indonesia; Halimun, Westjava, Indonesia; Gunung Leuser, Sumatra, Indonesia; NE Assam, India, and several zoos Summary: This program documents differences in the calls and vocal interactions among various gibbon species. It examines the hypothesis that the study of gibbons may shed light on the evolution of human communication and bipedal locomotion. Wild gibbons shown include white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar), hoolocks (Hoolock hoolock), Javan silvery gibbons (Hylobates moloch), Kloss's gibbons (H. klossii), and siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus). In addition, footage of captive Mueller's gibbons (H. muelleri) and yellow-cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus gabriellae) is shown. Comments: The first and probably the only documentary which includes footage from several wild gibbon populations. In some scenes (e.g. the Kloss's gibbons footage), gibbon calls were copied over footage of non-singing gibbons. Strong emphasis on the relevance of gibbon songs for understanding the evolution of human language.
Title: "Wildes Vietnam" Duration: 90 min Year: 2000 Buch & Regie: Sylvia & Frank Koschewski. A Telekine-Produktion im Auftrag des MDR, in collaboration with ARTE. Scientific advisor: Jörg Adler Gibbon Locality: Cuc Phuong Primate Rescue Station, Vietnam Summary: This program consists of two episodes of 45 minutes duration each and exploring the wildlife of Vietnam. Episode 1 includes the first good footage of wild Cat-Ba leaf monkeys. There is also some footage of calling southern white-cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys siki). Comments: The gibbon footage - we are led to believe by the narrator - was taken of wild gibbons in the Mekong delta. This is, of course, not true. Gibbons never occurred in the Mekong delta, and the gibbon footage was shot of captive gibbons at the Cuc Phuong Primate Rescue Station.
Title: "Monkeys [ and apes of Asia ]" Duration: 21 minutes One episode of the TV series "Safari" (Outdoor Life Channel) Year: 2000 Executive producer: Paul Sharratt, producer: David L. Stanton, associate producer: Chris Merrill, narrator: John Ross, production: Starcast International, Associated Television International. The episode is available on DVD under the title "Wildlife Paradise - Monkies" in Great Britain (released in 2005) and under the title "Affen" in German-speaking countries (released in 2006) Gibbon locality: Unspecified zoo Summary: This episode explores the behavior of four species of Asian primates: Whie-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar), Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata), northern pigtail macaque (M. leonina), and proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus). The gibbon section has a duration of 3.4 minutes and mainly shows gibbons in suspensory locomotion. Comments: Although this episode is introduced by the words "The song of the gibbon echoing through the forest is something you never forget", gibbon songs are not featured at all and only a few gibbon hoots are heard in the episode. The gibbon section mainly consists of footage of captive individuals. The most unusual scene shows a gibbon eating a crab - ironically accompanied by a comment on the gibbons' feeding primarily on fruit.
Title: "Through the eye of the gibbon" Duration of gibbon video clip: 37 sec Year: 1999 Gibbon Locality: Nam Kan Protected Area in Bokeo Province, Laos. Citation: Forespace (1999): Through the eye of the gibbon. Wildlife conservation & tree-top ecotourism with the hill tribes of northern Laos. Nam Kan Protected Area, Bokeo, Laos, Version 1.0 (Multimedia CD-ROM). Ministry of Information & Culture, Hoei Sei, Laos Summary: This is a promotion CD-ROM for the Forespace ecotourism project. It inlcudes one short video clip showing western black crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor). Comments: The gibbon sounds in the clip are not synchronous with the film. Press this button to watch or download a low resolution copy of the film (mpg-format, 6.4 MB).
Title: "Up with the gibbons" Duration: 30 min Year: 1999 (filmed 1998-1999) BBC (-NHU), TV series "Wildlife on One" Producer: Phil Chapman, camera: Justine Evans, narrator: David Attenborough, series editor: Sara Ford Gibbon Locality: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand Summary: This documentary examines the social life of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) at the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand, and follows a day in the life of three rival gibbon families, the Andromeda- or A- group, the Cassandra- or C-group, and the S-group. Comments: Good movie with some really beautiful gibbon footage and some rare bits inclluding an interaction between a gibbon and a giant squirrel, and a gibbon copulation. The gibbon copulation calls, however, are not the real thing.
Title: "The living Edens: Thailand, jewel of the Orient" Duration: 45 min Year: 1999 (filmed 1998-1999) A production of ABC / Kane Productions, in association with Trebitsch Produktion International GmbH and PBS. Produced by Bruce Reitherman. Worldwide distribution by Devillier Donegan Enterprises. More information: http://www.pbs.org/edens/ Gibbon Localities: Zoo footage and possibly Khao Yai National Park Summary: This program exlpores the wildlife of Thailand and inicludes footage of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar). Comments: The included gibbon footage is of little scientific value, because the silent footage of the singing white-handed gibbons is underlaid with calls of siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus) and white-cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys).
Title: "Wild Indonesia" Duration: 180 min Year: 1999 A Tigress production in association with Devillier Donegan Enterprises & PBS; writers: Anne MacLeod, James Sasse; executive producer: Jeremy Bradshaw. Gibbon Locality: ? Sumatra, Indonesia Summary: This program is divided into three episodes, "Where worlds collide," "The mystery of Sulawesi," and "Creatures of island kingdoms." The first episode discusses how Indonesia's wildlife is unique because they have animals that came from Asia and Australia. Sumatra, Bali, and New Guinea are looked at in detail. Primates shown include Thomas's langur (Presbytis thomasi), the siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), the agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis), the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), and the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis). In the second episode, the mysteries of the unusual animals on the island of Sulawesi are unraveld. Primates shown include the tarsier (Tarsius sp.) and the crested black macaque (Macaca nigra). The final episode discusses conditions unique to an island and how they are formed, such as colonization by seed dispersal.
Title: "The living Edens: Borneo, an island in the clouds" Duration: 60 min Year: 1998 Produced by Neil Lucas ABC/ Kane Productions International, Inc. and Devillier Donegan Enterprises Gibbon Locality: ? Borneo Summary: This program exlpores the variety of life unique to Borneo, in its caves, forests, and reefs. Among primates, it looks at the life history of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), and shows other primates including gibbons (Hylobates sp.), the silver leaf monkey (Trachypithecus cristatus), the long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), and the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) in the mangrove swamps.
Title: "Les Gibbons de Phuket" or "Save the playful gibbons" Duration: 52 min Year: 1997 A film by Guillaume Vincent. Eolis Productions, with Télé Images / I.T.I. (www.teleimages.com). Gibbon Localities: Pet gibbon owners in Pattong, and Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre, Thailand Summary: Documents the use of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) as pets in Thailand. Some of the pets are transferred to the Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre. The rehabilitation process is described. A family group of three gibbons is released on one of the small islands in the Phangnga Bay. Comments: A 26 min version of this documentary seems to exist as well.
Title: "Jarunee the singing ape" Duration: 49:37 min Year: 1997 (produced 1996) Produced by Grainger Television Australia, www.graingertv.com. Director, writer and narrator: Greg Grainger Gibbon Localities: Pet gibbon owners in Bangkok, Krabok Koo Rehabilitation Centre, Hua Hin Wildlife Rescue Center, Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre, and Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Summary: Documents the use of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) as pets in Thailand. Some of the pets are transferred to the Krabok Koo Rehabilitation Centre, administrated by the Forestry Department and the Wild Animal Rescue Foundation. Two of these captive gibbons give birth to a female infant, "Jarunee". When Jarunee is six months old, the family group is temporarily transferred to Hua Hin. The documentary also shows how and why some gibbons of the Phuket Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre are released on small islands in the Phangnga Bay. The film switches back to Jarunee, who is brought to the Khao Yai National Park. She is released into the wild and re-joins her parents and another rehabilitated gibbon infant who have been released there earlier. Comments: Not all footage of "Jarunee" and her parents appears to feature the same gibbon individuals. The documentary also includes some interesting footage of a gibbon birth at Krabok Koo, a gibbon catching and eating fish at Hua Hin, and an unusually large gibbon group kept on an island at Hua Hin.
Title: "Gibbons - Affenliebe, Affentreue" or "Gibbons - Von Affenliebe und Affentreue" Duration: 30 min Year: 1996 A film by Felix Heidinger. Kamera: Klaus Axthammer. Produced by Bayerischer Rundfunk BR, Germany. Gibbon Locality: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. Summary: This documentary examines the social life of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) at the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand and also portrays a behavioural field study that is being conducted on the these gibbons. Same footage as in the film "Heisst Affenliebe auch Affentreue?" (listed below), but 15 minutes shorter.
Title: "Heisst Affenliebe auch Affentreue?" Duration: 45 min Year: 1996 A film by Felix Heidinger. Kamera: Klaus Axthammer. Produced by Bayerischer Rundfunk BR, Germany. Gibbon Locality: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand Summary: This documentary examines the social life of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) at the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand and also portrays a behavioural field study that is being conducted on the these gibbons. Special attention is paid to the group of the adult pair "Fearless" and "Andromeda" and the occurrence of extra-pair copulations. Comments: Includes a particularly nice sequence of a gibbon mother helping her juvenile offspring to cross a gap between the tree crowns, and footage of a gibbon copulation.
Title: "Singing apes of Khao Yai" Duration: 30 min Year: 1994 BBC and Partridge Films (www.partridgefilmsltd.visualnet.com), TV series: Wildlife showcase Producer: Sarah Cunliffe, camera: Richard Davies and James Gray, narrator: Ian Holm, executive producer/series producer: Michael Bright Gibbon Locality: Khao Yai National Park, Thailand Summary: Programme follows a family group of white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) through their natural habitat in the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand and visits the animal market of Bangkok where young gibbons are illegally offered for sale (not shown). Comments: Some strange cuts. Gibbon call soundtrack not always synchronous with the footage, and some "gibbon" calls heard in the documentary (especially those of the infant gibbon) do not appear to be real gibbon calls. The footage referred to the focal family group also includes some footage of unrelated gibbon individuals and of captive animals.
Title: "A-Group: One instance of gibbon social organization" Duration: 13 min Year: 1987 Produced by Duane Quiatt, University of Colorado-Denver Gibbon Locality: Khao Yai, Thailand Summary: Filmed at the Khao Yai National Park in south central Thailand, this program examines the "household" structure of a group of 5 white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar). Behaviors shown include grooming, leaping, brachiation and duet calls.
Title: "Tree shrews and gibbons" Duration: 22 min Year: 1987 Produced and distributed by Charles K. Wilks, Dept. of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia Gibbon Locality: ? Summary: This compilation of footage includes a silent 11 min segment of the common tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) and a 11 min segment, with sound, of gibbons. The tree shrew is captive, and is shown scratching, self-grooming, climbing, eating and defecating. The gibbons are shown brachiating and climbing. Most of the time, however, they are at rest, showing limb postures when idle. A lone gibbon gives a continuous "whoop" sound, and the vocalizations of a group of gibbons can be heard. Comments: The gibbon footage appears dark and fuzzy, apparently shot on an overcast day.
Title: "Pangandaran and the silver leaf monkey" Duration: 20 min Year: 1987 Distributed by John Fowler and Karen Kool, Instructional Resources Unit, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia Gibbon Locality: Pangandaran Nature Reserve, Java, Indonesia Summary: Contains footage of Trachypithecus auratus, Presbytis comata, Hylobates moloch, Macaca fascicularis, and Nycticebus coucang. Comments: Gibbons do not naturally occur at Pangandaran NR. The gibbon footage was taken of a captive gibbon that was released by government officials at Pangandaran in either 1984 or 1985.
Title: "Gibbon group research on Laulanui island, Hawaii" Duration: 9 min Year: 1976 Produced by Aristide H. Esser, Research Center of Rockland State Hospital Gibbon Locality: Captive gibbon peer-group on Laulanui island, Hawaii Summary: This video documents the temporary relocation of three gibbons (Hylobates) from Thailand onto a small Hawaiian island, the observational and experimental methodology of the research, and the behavior interactions of the gibbons. Shows integration of the gibbons into a group, dominance.
Title: "Activity characteristics of gibbons (Hylobates lar), Part 3: Social behavior" Duration: 17 min Year: 1974 Produced by Clarence R. Carpenter, Pennsylvania State University. Distributed by Penn State Audio-Visual Services. Gibbon Locality: Captive gibbon colony on Hall's Island, Bermuda Summary: Social behavior in young adult white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) on Hall's Island is observed. Behavioral components of play include wrestling, chasing, play biting, play face, spinning and somersaulting. Play is shown to be both social and individual, and takes up one-third of the gibbons' waking day. Communicative behavior patterns are shown during interactions and pair formation. This film shows use of core of territorial ranges as pair and/or individual sleeping sites. Examples of vocalizations are also shown and heard.
Title: "Activity characteristics of gibbons (Hylobates lar), Part 2: Locomotion" Duration: 16 min Year: 1974 Produced by Clarence R. Carpenter. Produced and distributed by the Penn State Audio-Visual Services Gibbon Locality: Captive gibbon colony on Hall's Island, Bermuda Comments: Six individual white-handed gibbons gibbons (Hylobates lar) on Hall's Island exhibit basic patterns of semi-vertical trunk orientation in walking and swinging, which may represent one phase in the evolution of human upright posture. This program illustrates individual variation in locomotion; suspensory behavior (hanging by hands and feet); brachiation, swinging, climbing, walking (on ground, across branches, and across a rope), and leaping. A slow-motion section reveals details of locomotion.
Title: "Activity characteristics of gibbons (Hylobates lar), Part 1: Ecology and maintenance behavior" Duration: 23 min Year: 1974 Produced by Clarence R. Carpenter. Distributed by Penn State University Audio-Visual Services Gibbon Locality: Captive gibbon colony on Hall's Island, Bermuda Summary: Depicts six gibbons (3 normal control, 3 with electrode implants) on Hall's Island. This artificial enviroment's primary use is storage of animals for physiological studies; its secondary use is for observation of gibbon behavior such as foraging, feeding, individual grooming, resting and sleeping. The animals are shown acclimating to their new environment.
Title: "Gibbon research in a designed environment" Duration: 11 min Year: 1973 Produced by Clarence R. Carpenter, Lori Baldwin, and Geza Teleki. Distributed by Penn State Audiovisual Services Gibbon Locality: Captive gibbon colony on Hall's Island, Bermuda Summary: Hall's Island, Bermuda, provides a free-ranging environment for a group of 6 white-handed gibbons, Hylobates lar. The island's facilities were designed for naturalistic behavioral research and for rehabilitation of captive gibbons. Within the framework of a typical day of research, the film shows the observation and maintenance facilities, techniques used in the recording of behavioral observations and the types of gibbon behavior patterns observed on the island. These behaviors include locomotion (walking, brachiating, leaping), drinking with cupped hand, foraging ground cover, social play, sleeping and human-animal interactions.
Title: "Gibbon locomotion" Duration: 6 min Year: 1971 Produced by Aristide H. Esser with the support of International Psychiatric Research Foundation, New York. Distributed by Penn State Audio-Visual Services. Colour, silent. Gibbon Locality: Captive gibbon peer-group on Laulani Island, Hawaii Summary: Shows locomotion of free-ranging group of young white-handed gibbons, Hylobates lar, on Laulani Island, Hawaii. Includes brachiating in slow and normal motion, winding in and out of trees, trail leading, walking and running, walking and brachiating while foraging for berries, and drinking using cupped hand.
Title: "Survey of the primates" Duration: 38 min Year: 1970 A film by Duane M. Rumbaugh, Austin H. Riesen, and Robert E. Lee. Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, in cooperation with The San Diego Zoological Society. Copyright: Meredith Corporation. Colour. Narrator: Robert E. Lee Gibbon Locality: San Diego Zoo and Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Atlanta. Summary: Primates are defined by 10 criteria: generalized skeleton; highly mobile digits (and often an opposable thumb); tactile pads on the fingers; abbrevation of snout or muzzle (excepting baboons); perfection of binocular vision; smell and other senses de-emphasized by sight; fewer teeth; increase in size and complexity of brain cortex; nourishment of fetus before birth; upright posture or bipedalism; and prolongation of infant dependency upon parents. Compares traits among primates in evolutionary perspective, from tree shrews to wet-nosed primates, Old World monkeys, New World monkeys, and small and great apes. Discusses anatomical, social, and maturational differences, as well as geographical distribution, habitats, intelligence, diet, dentition, learned behavior, manual dexterity, and territoriality. Includes footage of white-cheeked crested gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys), a white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar), siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus), and a hybrid gibbon (probably a lar x moloch hybrid), of a total duration of 2 min 40 s. Comments: One short scene (19 s) with the hybrid shows a rare example of tool use by a gibbon.
Title: "Hylobates lar (Hylobatidae) - Fortbewegung im Geäst" [Hylobates lar (Hylobatidae) - Locomotion on branches] Duration: 7.5 min Year: production 1965, publication 1967 Author: Cornelis Naaktgeboren (Amsterdam). Produced by Cornelis Naaktgeboren (Amsterdam) and W. C. van Asperen (Amsterdam). Published and distributed by IWF, Göttingen (Germany); www.iwf.de, ordering number: E 1107. b&w, silent. Gibbon Locality: Opel Zoo, Kronberg im Taunus, Germany Summary: The film documents the locomotion methods of several gibbons (Hylobates lar) in branches. On horizontal branches the biped gait is most usual, with the fore-extremities being used for balance as far as possible. In hand over hand travelling, the fore-extremities play the major role and the hind-legs only touch the branches very occasionally. The arms are again chiefly used for rope-swinging, and, similarly, for leaping from branch to branch.
Title: "Characteristics of gibbon behavior" Duration: 11 min Produced by Clarence R. Carpenter Black and White; sound Copyrighted: 1942 Distributor: Penn State University PCR (PSUPCR) Summary: Looks at gibbons in "free" situations, observing characteristics of their behavior, general appearance, varieties of postures, locomotion (including swinging and semiupright walking), and manipulation. Discusses gross anatomical features in relation to basic patterns of behavior, phylogenetic adaptations and stages in postural and locomotor development, and theory of primate postural evolution. Comments: From the C.R. Carpenter Primate Studies series. Dated, but of historical interest.

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