A group of public relations students from Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT) has launched a conservation awareness campaign aimed at protecting gibbons in Malaysia, inspired by a short documentary about a lone white-handed gibbon named Solo living in an urban forest patch in Bukit Serdang, Seri Kembangan, Selangor.
The 15-minute documentary, titled *Finding Solo – The Last Gibbon In Kuala Lumpur*, was originally produced as a Master’s thesis in 2023 and highlights the challenges faced by Solo, who remains isolated amid rapid urban development. Motivated by the documentary, the students organized a three-day event, Suara Hutan 2026: Keep the Gibbons Singing, held in Kuala Lumpur in August in collaboration with the Gibbon Conservation Society (GCS).
Led by campaign chairperson Lim Jia Le, 20, the initiative sought to raise public awareness about gibbon conservation, particularly the threats posed by habitat loss and illegal pet trade. “The heartbreaking story of Solo really touched our hearts and encouraged us to make a lasting impact on gibbons,” Lim said, emphasizing the importance of preserving the forests where gibbons live to maintain their distinctive songs.
Working closely with GCS, the students developed an interactive activity called Rescues, which guided participants through nine game booths representing the stages of gibbon rehabilitation and conservation. The aim was to transform casual spectators into informed advocates equipped with a deeper understanding of conservation efforts and challenges.
Mariani Ramli, founder and president of GCS, explained that gibbon rehabilitation is a lengthy process often taking between five to 15 years. Before release into the wild, animals must satisfy seven criteria specified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to ensure they are physically and psychologically ready to survive independently. Rehabilitation involves physical and mental healing, unlearning human dependencies, learning to forage, and finding mates prior to a soft release.
Despite their endangered status, gibbons remain a lesser-known species compared to Malaysian wildlife icons such as the Malayan tiger and Bornean orangutan. All five gibbon species found in Malaysia—including the siamang, white-handed lar, and agile gibbon—are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN. According to Ramli, gibbons are particularly vulnerable due to deforestation and the illegal wildlife pet trade, which is driven by poachers who often kill adult gibbons to capture infants. “Poachers simply move on to the next group, killing up to 20 wild gibbons just to capture a single surviving baby,” Ramli said.
Social media often conceals this grim reality by portraying pet gibbons as cute companions. Ramli emphasized that education remains the most effective tool in combating demand that fuels poaching.
For students like Qua Yan Ting, 20, who spearheaded the campaign’s programming, the project offered a profound learning experience. A visit to the Malaya Grep Rehabilitation Centre revealed the gibbons’ loud, distinctive calls, fostering a personal connection to the animals beyond academic interest. “Hearing the animals sing made me realize they are living beings with their own presence and importance,” Qua said.
The campaign also tested the students’ teamwork and communication skills across a three-month period of research and planning. Lim reflected on the collective effort involved in organizing the event, stressing that success depended on contributions from the entire team.
Funds raised through the campaign are directed toward supporting GCS’s goal of releasing six rehabilitated gibbons back into protected canopy habitats. The planned release is scheduled to coincide with International Gibbon Day on October 24. The students hope their campaign will inspire Malaysians to recognize gibbons as valuable components of Malaysia’s forest ecosystem and a national treasure at risk of disappearing.