Why Does a Gibbon Lose Its Mind After Spotting a Hedgehog Nearby?

Gibbons are the smallest species of apes. These tree-dwelling primates live in the rainforests of Southeast, South, and East Asia. Gibbons are naturally playful and curious, with a high level of intelligence. What does a gibbon do when it encounters the unknown? Like, for example, the first time it sees a hedgehog? Let’s find out.

The Lesser Apes: Gibbons

Gibbons are known as the lesser apes. This is in contrast to the great apes, which include gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and humans. Gibbons are smaller than great apes and not as intelligent, yet they are still very intelligent primates. The lesser apes include gibbons and siamangs (the largest gibbons), and there are 20 species of gibbons.

Their long and strong limbs allow them to swing easily through the trees of the jungle. A gibbon’s arms are one and a half times longer than its legs, and its arm span can reach over five feet. Gibbons have highly specialized wrist joints that function like a ball-and-socket, allowing for exceptional flexibility and efficiency in swinging through trees. Gibbons have been recorded as traveling at speeds of up to 34 miles per hour as they swing through the treetops.

Not only are they intelligent and agile, but they are also extremely social. Gibbons live together in family groups, and most of them will mate for life. They are also known for their unique vocalizations, which they emit with their throat sac. Gibbons love to use their throat sac to sing and begin each day by singing at sunrise.

How Intelligent Are Gibbons?

Gibbons are incredibly playful, which is a sign of intelligence. According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the gibbons at their zoo can learn to solve simple puzzles. They may not have the learning capabilities of the great apes, but they are able to learn new behaviors. Research on gibbon intelligence is limited at the time, and more studies need to be done to better understand this fascinating primate.

Although they are prey for snakes and leopards, gibbons’ teamwork and intelligence help keep them safe. When a gibbon spots danger, they will call out to the others in their group, with their loud calls echoing for miles. They can escape from predators at quick speeds, fleeing through the trees. If the predator is coming from above, such as eagles that prey on smaller species of gibbons, the gibbons will flee to the lower levels of branches, below the tree canopy.

These Gibbons Were Perplexed When They Spotted a Hedgehog

A YouTube video posted by tomelliott9 shows a humorous scene where two gibbons notice a hedgehog just beyond the border of their fence. A very small hedgehog is sitting in the grass, barely moving. But the two gibbons react with confusion and alarm. Finally, one of the gibbons retreats to swing from a tree branch while its friend stays close to keep an eye on the hedgehog.

After contemplating the situation from the tree, the other gibbon jumps back down to inspect the hedgehog a little longer.

What Do Gibbons Eat?

Gibbons are not predators and would not have been interested in the little hedgehog for food. Gibbons prefer to eat fruit but will settle for other plants when fruit is scarce. They are also known to eat bird eggs and insects.

Could a Hedgehog Harm a Gibbon?

Hedgehogs are nocturnal and not usually seen during the day, which is possibly why the hedgehog in the video was such a novel item for the gibbons. They had simply never encountered one before. Hedgehogs may have quills, but they don’t release them like porcupines do. A hedgehog’s only defense is to roll itself up into a ball. The hedgehog in the video was not a danger to the gibbons.

Gibbons Do Not Make Good Pets

Social media has made exotic pet ownership incredibly popular these days, but not for the betterment of the animals. Gibbons are wild animals and cannot be domesticated. A baby gibbon may be cute, but as it grows, it becomes much harder for a human owner to control.

Sadly, it’s the gibbon’s unique song that puts them in danger from poachers. Poachers will follow the sounds of gibbons singing to locate groups of gibbons and steal the babies from the mothers to sell in the pet trade. If you see an adorable baby gibbon, or any other baby primate, in a social media video as a pet, you can be nearly 100% certain that the baby animal was stolen from its mother to become someone’s pet.

Animal experts explain that gibbons are so closely bonded that each family member would risk death protecting one another from the poachers.