The lar gibbon, also called white handed gibbon, is the smallest and most primitive anthropoids.

It measures between 60 and 90 cm with a weight of between 8 to 11 kg. Its face is framed in white with a very short muzzle. The rest of the hair is a color that varies from sandy beige and black. Its body is quite slim and small. It is mainly characterized by particularly long arms which it uses as a balance for walking and standing, the ends of the hands are white. Hard skin covers its plant foot and each hand has five fingers. It has no tail, but calluses on its buttocks.

The White-handed Gibbon lives in monogamous couples in Asian rainforests as in Thailand, Bhutan, Sumatra, Bangladesh, Burma, Indonesia and China.

Its longevity is 30 years in the wild and it is quite sociable.

Past master in the branchiation, it can quickly jump from branch to branch to a speed of 35 km/h. A distance of 15 meters can be covered in a single bound.

It reaches sexual maturity at around 8 years old and the female can have only one baby per litter. Gestation lasts seven months and it is the female who offers sex.

Gibbon love eating fruits and leaves, but the little birds, insects, buds and flowers can also be part of its occasionally menu. Its main activity during the day is looking for food.

Deforestation and forest fragmentation in which it lives is the primary source of its disappearance. Protected species, hunting and poaching threaten its existence. It is among the most exploited by man apes and some traffickers do not hesitate to kill the mother to steal its baby. To defend their territory or to mark it, it emits a song that is heard several miles around.