O A HAND-BOOK OF THE MANAGEMENT OF ANIMALS 



(2) THE HOOLOCK GIBBON. 



(HYLOBATES HOOLOCK— {Harlan,) ) 

 Hindi — Ulook Bandar, KaJa Bandar. Bengali — Ulluh. 



Uab. — Assam, Sylhet, Cachar, Manipur, Irrawadi Valley near 

 Bhamo, Chittagong and Arracan. 



Length of life in captivity. 



The longest period during which any hoolock has lived in the 

 garden as yet has been nine years, one of a pair of hoolocks presented 

 in 1883 being still alive. This is, however, the only instance in which 

 a hoolock has lived so long. Asa rule, the duration of life, in cap- 

 tivity, of this and other species of the genus is short. 

 Treatment in health. 



Housing. — Hoolocks are as delicate as orangs; the same care and 

 forethought are, therefore, necessary in housing and feeding them. 

 Much trouble and annoyance, caused by their frequent illness and 

 death, may be saved by giving them a lofty and airy dwelling well 

 raised from the ground, with means and appliances for the admission of 

 sun and light and the exclusion of draughts and cold. The main- 

 tenance of an equable temperature is the first desideratum. 



Wet, draught, and cold are fatal to hoolocks, at least in captivity. 

 The Gubbay House in the Calcutta Zoological Grarden has been found 

 most suitable for the health and comfort of the gibbons as well as other 

 varieties of monkeys and smaller mammalia of delicate nature. It is 

 an oblong brick building, measuring 50 feet long by 30 feet broad by 22 

 feet high, with an arched Leslie-patent roof. The doors and fan-lights 

 are all made of thick plate glass, so that, while light and air are freely 

 admitted, draughts and cold can be effectually excluded and the tem- 

 perature regulated. The cages, each measuring 7 feet 6 inches long by 

 5 feet 6 inches broad by 14 feet high, are fixed in separate blocks against 

 the walls, an arrangement which, although involving unnecessary waste 

 of space, has been allowed to contiuue, as it does not interfere with the 

 health and comfort of the inmates. The Dumraon House also is well 

 adapted to the requirements of a good monkey-house, and in it also 

 hoolocks are kept. In this building the eight cages, each measuring 12 

 feet long by 7 feet broad by 19 feet high, are arranged in two rows with 

 a broad passage between. As they are intended to accommodate monkeys 

 of unequal strength and size, the cages on one side have been built of 

 thicker iron rods with wider spaces between them, while those on the 

 other side have been made of lighter and closer rods. To prevent the 

 monkeys in contiguous cages from biting one another, it has been found 

 necessary to have strong wire netting of 1 inch mesh attached to the 

 partitions separating one cage from another. Additional light and ven- 

 tilation are obtained from a sky-light, with glass shutters, in the roof. 



Although generally timid and inoffensive, hoolocks, like other 

 animals, are sometimes intolerant of intrusion ; this has been noticed 

 specially when one has lived for some time in a particular cage. Newly 

 obtained specimens should not, therefore, be placed with previous acqui- 

 sitions. An opportunity should first be given to them to become accus- 

 tomed to each other's presence through the bars, and this is best done 



