World Wildlife Fund

Day Twelve: Heading back
We are on our way out of Srepok. It is early enough that the jeeps still have to have their headlights on. I manage to doze through much of the bouncing as we rumble through the forest. Everyone is waiting for the roads to smooth out before attempting a conversation. Suddenly, I see something in the trees. There is a dark swinging shape and although dusky, I can make out the light yellow color of fur. I squeak out my excitement to Teak, "Gibbon, gibbon, a yellow cheeked crested gibbon!" It's a female (the males are black with white cheeks); with pale golden fur and a triangular black mohawk. We can just barely see the family further up in the tree.

As far as I'm concerned, gibbons are the rock stars among primates. They are great singers. Males and females often sing in duets. The females have what is referred to as a "great call", a song of ascending staccato notes, whereas the males have several kinds of song or "coda". They are brachiators which mean that they swing their arms an entire 360 degrees as they suspend their weight and travel through the branches. How cool is that? The yellow cheeked gibbon territory ranges around 100 acres and unless threatened, they tend to stay in the same area. However, these gibbons are too close to the road and have obviously migrated from elsewhere probably due to disturbances and forest clearing caused by mining or logging.

Later in the day, we cross Snoul Wildlife Sanctuary and the Snoul town itself. The road beyond is bordered with rubber plantations. Unlike Srepok and Phnom Prich, Snoul Wildlife Sanctuary is mostly a sanctuary on paper alone. It is right next to a major timber processing facility. This does not bode well for the wildlife or indigenous communities in this landscape. Like the gibbons, they are being pressed further and further into an ever-shrinking forest refuge.

The WWF Forest Trade Network works with businesses to gain commitment that their timber and paper supplies do not contribute to illegal logging or forest destruction. It is a market mechanism, using the purchasing power of forest product companies. At the same time, we work to improve the management of the production forests and encourage sustainable forestry on the ground. The consumer's voice is probably the strongest ally we have in helping us transform the timber industry. Chances are if you buy furniture in the United States, particularly outdoor furniture which is predominantly made from wood from Vietnam, you will have bought illegal wood that comes from the forests of the Mekong. What can you do to help? Simple, ask the retailer two questions: where does the wood come from and is it from an environmentally sustainable source? Just that helps plant a seed with stores, retailers, companies, moving them towards purchasing certified and sustainable wood.

Learn more about the Global Forest Trade Network