Tura, June 13: Nestled amidst greenery, the Sonja Wildlife Rescue Centre at Chinabat village in West Garo Hills has become a tourist spot, thanks to its resident hoolock gibbons.

Nearly 35km from Tura, the centre has been successfully creating awareness on conservation of the endangered western hoolock gibbon, known locally as huro, the only tailless ape species found in Garo hills and parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

The centre, with eight gibbons at present, has been engaged in rehabilitation of the animals previously held captive by local residents.

Local youths are trained by activists, who visit Garo hills on the request of its founder Florian Magne, a French national, who started the centre way back in 2007.

There has been very little awareness about these tailless apes in Garo hills but the centre, with 13 employees, has garnered the much-needed attention. In February, it successfully rehabilitated a pair of gibbons at Nokrek biosphere reserve.

A local youth, Sandrick A. Sangma, who is the in charge of the centre, underwent training at Le Pal Zoo in France.

"We have been running the centre for the past nine years. The gibbons are not caught from the wild but have been rescued from villagers, where they were held captive. Till date, we have rescued and released a pair of gibbons," said Sandrick. He will go for further training at Gibbon Conservation Center, Santa Clarita in California, this year.

Though the place is not promoted as a tourist spot, people have been visiting the centre to get a glimpse of the gibbons.

A tourist from England, who was at the centre, was left awestruck. "This kind of place is very important. It helps creates awareness for the local people and the visitors about this animals," said Graham Chaplin.

"It is nice to see that the foundation is doing very well as far as conservation is concerned," said C.P. Suresh, a visitor from Tamil Nadu.

Researcher Gino Sangma, who is working on a tourism project, feels that the place needs to be promoted as a tourist spot. There are even students from France and other nations, who frequent the centre.

"It is a great site, tourists can be drawn to this place. I feel that this place should be promoted. People can come and visit this place and understand more about the species," said Gino.

The gibbons at the rescue centre are taken care according to the guidelines of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In 2012 and 2015, an effort was made to release the gibbons at Amgratoli forest reserve in South Garo Hills and at Silsotchigre community reserve forest but it was unsuccessful.