Proper hydration is essential, but how water is provided can also serve as a crucial training tool. While water bowls are convenient, they do not mimic natural drinking habits of gibbons. Wild gibbons do not drink from streams or lakes, instead, they cup their hands to collect water from tree hollows or rub their furry arms against wet leaves and lick the droplets.
Transitioning away from artificial bowls to mimic these natural conditions is another strategy which can help with more natural behaviours. This can be achieved by setting up slow water drippers animals can lick from, and by ensuring that water sources are also provided at height, just as food. These naturalistic water stations encourage gibbons to practice their innate drinking behaviors, which is a vital survival skill, especially for animals which are candidates for release back to the wild.