Wild gibbons are arboreal, meaning they live their entire lives in the trees. Their bodies are specifically adapted for brachiation, which allows them to swing efficiently from branch to branch. Because of this, how we present food to them is as important as what they eat. In sanctuary care this means we should place all food and water at elevated stations, at least 1.5 to 2 meters above the ground.
If food is placed on the floor, captive gibbons will learn to come down to eat. This is very dangerous for gibbons that will be released back to the wild, as it leaves them vulnerable to ground-dwelling predators, and soil-borne diseases. Feeding them high in the canopy forces them to use their natural swinging and hanging postures, which is vital for keeping them healthy during rehabilitation. Even if they won’t be released back to the wild, arboreal feeding allows them to exhibit natural behaviours, which is an important part of their welfare.
While elevated feeding is essential, it must be done safely for both the animals and the caregivers. The main challenge with arboreal feeding are safety and speed of the human caregivers. The optimal way of feeding depends on the design of the enclosure, which is typically harder to modify than feeding practices.
- Fully enclosed (mesh) enclosures
The roof of these enclosures can serve as ideal feeding platforms. Safe access can be provided by external stairs or ladders, alternatively pulley systems (see below) can be also used. If the height allows it, food can also be thrown on to the roof, where the animals can acces it from within the enclosure, spending more time hanging and brachiating. Gibbons are messy eaters and will frequently drop food. To stop them from climbing down to the floor to retrieve it, enclosures should ideally be built with elevated wire mesh or slatted floors. This allows dropped food to fall entirely out of the gibbons’ reach, breaking the habit of terrestrial foraging. - Open top enclosures
To eliminate direct human contact and safely deliver food high into the enclosure or forest canopy, remote pulley systems and suspended baskets work well. These can be fixed to taller trees or artificial climbing structures, and can be operated from outside the enclosure using ropes or cables. This allows staff to haul food up (sometimes up to 10 meters high).