
Northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys).
Image: NasserHalaweh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Mammals
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The northern white-cheeked gibbon is a tree-swinging ape in which males are black with white cheeks and females are golden. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
Pairs and families sing loud, complex duets through the canopy.
Range & habitat
Forests of Vietnam, Laos, and southern China.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Deforestation
- Hunting
- Capture for the pet trade
Why it matters
A canopy ape of Indochina whose duets ring through the forest, the northern white-cheeked gibbon is a flagship for the region's vanishing rainforests.
Gallery

Northern white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys); a zoo individual.
Image: Animalculum, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Northern White-cheeked Gibbon
- IUCN Red List — look up Northern White-cheeked Gibbon (authoritative status)
- Animal Diversity Web
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do male and female white-cheeked gibbons look different?
Why is the northern white-cheeked gibbon Critically Endangered?
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