Not such a long time ago,
in a cloud forest far, far away in southwest China,
a completely new primate species was discovered.
A type of gibbon, a close cousin of humans,
but even before its secret life could be understood,
there were fears for its future
because this gibbon species is already on the brink of extinction.
Its name: the Skywalker gibbon.
The Skywalker hoolock gibbon is the smallest ape and new to scienc.
It was identified only recently, in 2017.
And yes, the scientist who named it is a Star Wars fan.
But his extraordinary find is tinged with sadness.
Almost immediately after its introduction to the world,
the Skywalker gibbon was placed on the endangered species list.
It's estimated there are just 150 left in the wild.
Human encroachment, especially the building of roads,
has fragmented the forest.
Individual Skywalker gibbons are now isolated in their territories,
cut off from one another and unable to meet and mate.
Even when they do,
there's a risk that their offspring will die as a result of inbreeding.
The Skywalker gibbons have retreated from the valleys
to live high in the Gaoligong mountains.
A mature female scans the forest,
hoping to find a mate,
but the only other gibbons here are family.
She lives in the same territory as her sister,
who already has a mate and two youngsters.
An affair with her brother in law is out of the question.
Gibbons form bonds for life.
He won't be enticed to stray.
9 miles away, a potential partner waits alone.
The only chance of a face to face meeting
will be if he hears her love songs.
Gibbons communicate through song.
They sing to defend their territory
and to express amorous intentions.
But the females' melodies can't carry
across the vast distance that separates them.
The two may never meet,
and that means there won't be a next generation.
So, in an effort to save the gibbons,
researchers are embarking on an unusual quest.
They're going to become matchmakers.
The team must work out a way
to bring the apes together
without interfering in their lives too much.
They will use a recording of the female song
to interest the male gibbon.
if he reacts,
they might be able to lure him to her territory.
But there's no reaction.
Perhaps they played back the wrong part of her song.
Rather than an amorous ballad,
it might be a territorial warning
which would scare the male rather than entice him.
They'll need to devise a more creative approach.
Technology provides the answer.
A cell phone for her
and a cell phone for him.
A live link so the apes can communicate in real time.
If the Gibbons decide to sing to one another across the phone lines,
the researchers will try to lead the male to the female
along a preplanned route.
But there are challenges.
Can the researchers find a route with constant cell phone coverage
without going near villages?
Will the pair react to each other's calls?
Will the male be lured from his territory?
And will he be accepted into hers?
Do or do not.
There is no try.
Let the matchmaking begin.
Ready with cell phones, microphones and megaphones,
researchers stand by in the male's territory.
9 miles away,
another team waits with the female.
The cell connection works.
The chat room goes live.
The female is the first to sing.
The researchers broadcast her call
and for the first time, he replies.
Then the duet begins.
The male becomes restless.
He wants to move.
Time for the researchers to act.
They will now attempt to lure him towards the female's home using her song.
But first, he must leave the safety of his territory.
The brave male starts his journey into the unknown.
With every leap, he closes the distance between them.
The cell phone signal remains strong.
The female's calls are loud, clear and alluring.
For 2 hours, he travels through uncharted terrain.
All the while, the researchers keep the lines of communication open.
At the edge of the female's territory, he stops.
The duet continues,
but now it is mixed with warning cries from her sister's family.
They might attack her potential suitor
before she even gets to meet him.
Now, the lone female must make a decision.
Stay with her relatives
or leave with him to establish a new territory
and perhaps even a family.
She moves a little closer.
So does he.
Could this meeting bring hope to this species?
The researchers leave.
Their bold experiment has worked.
Now, it is up to the Skywalker gibbons.
May the force be with them.
Did you know
that most new species these days are actually discovered by armatures?
Have a look at our friends at Minute Earth.
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