The Hainan gibbon is one of the world’s most endangered primates. It lives on an island off the coast of China. Over time, humans have cleared much of its forest habitat. In 2014, a strong storm uprooted trees, creating a gap between two areas of forest. To help the gibbons move from one area to the other for food and mates, scientists recently put up a bridge made of ropes across the gap.
The scientists attached a camera to a nearby tree to monitor the bridge. Photos showed that the gibbons waited almost 6 months before using the bridge, but now they’re crossing it regularly. Researcher Bosco Chan thinks that’s because the gibbons aren’t used to human-made structures.
The bridge is one of many projects to save the Hainan gibbon from extinction. Scientists are also planting trees to restore its habitat.