Nature & places

Lawachara National Park and its hoolock gibbons

In Lawachara National Park, western hoolock gibbons depend on connected treetops, making the forest canopy more than a green view above a trail.

Near Kamalganj in Moulvibazar, Lawachara National Park protects a forest landscape surrounded by settlements and cultivated land. Trails lead beneath tall trees, where a call may reveal an animal long before it becomes visible. Among the park's best-known residents is the western hoolock gibbon, an ape native to this region. Hoolocks have no tails and use their long arms to swing between branches. They eat fruit as well as other plant foods, and their calls help family groups communicate. Connected tree cover is essential: a break that looks small from a footpath can be a serious interruption to an animal travelling above ground. Forest fragmentation and disturbance put pressure on these apes. Visitors should stay on permitted paths, avoid feeding wildlife and give animals room rather than gathering beneath them for photographs. Nearby communities are part of the landscape too, not exhibits along a route. A patient, quiet walk offers a better chance to understand the forest than a hurried search for a gibbon sighting.