The length of its body is 46 to 68
centimeters, slightly larger than White-cheeked Gibbon and White-handed Gibbon.
It is tall and thin, tailless and about 5.5 kilograms in weight. The size of
male and female is similar, with male in black and brown while female in light
yellow brown. The most obvious features are: two white eyebrows, hair on the
vertices growing backwards, looking like the longevous gibbon. Baby gibbon is
offwhite, which turns darker after several months.
It inhabits in tropical virgin forests,
living on the trees almost all the year round. It moves forward by hanging
itself on tree branches with its two long arms and hook-shaped long hands, and
swinging forward like playing on a swing. Its movement is quick and accurate.
Occasionally, it walks on the ground; while walking, its body is in half
erection, sometimes two arms bent at both sides of the body and sometimes lifted
above the calvaria, like a pendulum. It usually lives in groups of 3 to 5, like
a family. Its hue is very loud, which can be heard from several miles afar. It
never builds nests, but sleeps and rests by sitting on the trees. As an
omnivorous animal, it eats tree leaves, fruits, insects, birds and bird eggs.
Baby gibbon matures at the age of 8 to 9, mostly oestrous in rainy seasons. Its
gestation period lasts 7 to 7.5 months, giving birth to babies from November to
March of the following year.
White-browed Gibbon is distributed in Yunnan
Province and Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is now on the verge of
extinction, with a remaining number of about 200 heads. In Gongshan Mountain of
Gaoli where white-browed gibbons inhabit, a natural protection area has been
established by the State.
It has been listed in Appendix I of
International Trade Convention on Endangered Wild Plant and Animal
Species.