Canopy to Cabin: Southeast Asia’s Gibbon Smuggling by Air

At least 86 gibbons were intercepted in just 32 months between January 2024 and August 2026, reports Canopy to Cabin: Southeast Asia’s Gibbon Smuggling by Air, released in conjunction with World Gibbon Day. 

These animals that spend most of their lives in the forest canopy were found packed in small pet-carrier cases or plastic baskets in suitcases checked in for journeys of several hours.   

Where information was available, all seized gibbons were juveniles and represented six species, though Siamang Symphalangus syndactylus and Agile Gibbons Hylobates agilis were the most frequently reported. 

TRAFFIC data show the gibbons were found in 33 international smuggling incidents through airports that implicated Southeast Asia as a source, transit and consolidation point.    

Gibbons have long been targeted by poachers and traffickers, with hundreds confiscated across South and Southeast Asia over the past decade but the role of aviation in moving live gibbons across borders has become increasingly apparent in recent years. 

“The smuggling of just a few gibbons on each flight may seem small in isolation, but like a dripping tap, the losses accumulate over time. What appears minor incident by incident can add up to a devastating toll on wild populations,”

said Kanitha Krishnasamy, Director for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia. 

Seizures peaked in 2025, mostly taking place in India but shifted in 2026 with more made in Malaysia, and Thailand before the gibbons reached their intended overseas destinations, suggesting improved detection earlier along the trafficking chain. Prosecutions and some convictions reported in Malaysia during the period further indicate efforts to hold offenders accountable. 

Overall, Kuala Lumpur International Airport was the most frequently implicated airport serving as a point of departure or transit for the smuggled gibbons in over a dozen cases. Chennai and Kempegowda airports in India were the most implicated destinations.  

Links to destinations in the Middle East were less conspicuous with Indonesia intercepting two attempts: one to Oman and another to Dubai. 

The analysis also highlighted select seizures outside airports that reinforced aviation’s role. This included the discovery of suitcases, ventilated plastic containers and diapers alongside a gibbon and other animals in a Thai house.   

“Clearly Southeast East Asia continues to be a critical hub linking wildlife supply chains to markets elsewhere in Asia and traffickers continue to adapt as enforcement efforts increase,”

said Wong Jye Wen, Data and Research Officer for TRAFFIC in Southeast Asia 

“Getting ahead of the criminal networks requires shared intelligence and joint investigations between the countries involved. Without it we risk traffickers wiping out gibbons one flight at a time,”

said Kanitha Krishnasamy 

All gibbon species are protected under national wildlife laws across their range, and commercial trade in wild-caught specimens is strictly prohibited under CITES*

TRAFFIC's work on combatting the illegal trade in gibbons in Southeast Asia is supported by The Habitat Foundation and the Arcus Foundation. Data collection to support efforts to tackle wildlife crime is supported by Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) and the Blossom Hope Fund.