Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife

Give a second chance to Laos’ gibbons this Giving Day for Apes 🐵💚

Every day, wildlife in Laos is threatened by the illegal wildlife trade. Gibbons are captured from the forest to be sold as pets, often losing their families, their freedom and their chance to live in the wild.

At the Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife, we believe that every animal deserves a second chance.

Established in 2018, LCTW is a Lao wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and conservation organisation working to protect native species and tackle the illegal wildlife trade. Our work goes far beyond simply rescuing animals. We provide emergency veterinary care, rehabilitate wildlife, create opportunities for them to recover their natural behaviours, and work towards returning them to protected areas in the wild.

Pearl’s second chance 🤍

Two years ago, Pearl was rescued from the illegal pet trade. When she arrived at LCTW, she was skeletal, malnourished and severely dehydrated. It was clear that she had been through a great deal.

Our veterinary team provided emergency treatment while our husbandry team cared for her every day. Slowly, Pearl began to recover. Her strength returned, her coat became healthy and silky again, and she finally had the opportunity to be a gibbon again.

Once she was strong enough, we introduced Pearl to a group of gibbons in one of our large, natural forest enclosures. There, she can climb, forage, socialize and express the behaviours she would naturally have in the wild.

Today, Pearl is living the closest thing to a wild gibbon life that we can provide. Our hope is that, once she is fully rehabilitated and rewilded, she can eventually return to her natural habitat.

Remember little Kon Kham? 🖤

You may remember little Kon Kham, rescued in June last year. He is growing up fast!

His fur has now almost completely turned black, as it does in male Nomascus gibbons. Females undergo a remarkable change when they reach sexual maturity at around 5–6 years old, when their fur turns back to beige again and remains that colour for life.

But something even more special happened to Kon Kham: Pearl adopted him!

Although we still bottle-feed Kon Kham because Pearl cannot produce milk, she has taken on an incredibly important role in his life. We watch him cling to her as she grooms him, watches over him and teaches him how to behave like a gibbon.

Every morning, Kon Kham hears the songs of the other gibbons around him. One day, we hope to hear him sing too.

This is what rehabilitation means to us. It is not simply about keeping an animal alive. It is about giving them the opportunity to become who they were meant to be.

From rescue to release 🍃

Stories like Pearl and Kon Kham are made possible by every stage of our work:

🏥 Rescue – responding to wildlife victims of the illegal trade and providing immediate veterinary care.

🍃 Rehabilitation – helping animals recover physically and relearn the behaviours they need to survive, often over months or years.

🌳 Rewilding – providing large, natural forest enclosures where animals can gradually regain their independence and prepare for life in the wild.

🎊 Release – when animals are ready, we work to return them to carefully selected, protected habitats where they can live freely and contribute to wild populations.

Our conservation centre sits on the edge of Phou Khao Khouay National Park, giving us the opportunity to build large, naturalistic enclosures specifically designed for rehabilitation and rewilding.

But none of this happens without support.

Wildlife rescue is expensive. Every rescue mission requires fuel, transport, veterinary supplies, equipment, food and staff. Rehabilitation can take months or even years, particularly for highly intelligent and social species such as gibbons. And building the space they need to recover safely is a major investment.

For 24 hours, Giving Day for Apes gives us the chance to turn your support into another second chance.

Your donation can help provide the care, food, veterinary treatment, enrichment and rehabilitation space that animals like Pearl and Kon Kham need.

You can help us rescue the next gibbon in need.

You can help an animal heal.

You can help a gibbon learn to be a gibbon again.

And, one day, you can help them return home.

Please donate today and help give Laos’ gibbons a second chance. Every donation, whatever the amount, can make a difference. 💚

Thank you for standing with LCTW and with the wildlife of Laos.