Loading...
The gibbon’s song, the noise of man
In the jungle, the sound of silence is a cacophony. A chorus of insects, birds, mammals and reptiles talk within and across species, often to each other’s benefit. The dark lar, or white-handed gibbon, is a particularly adept vocalist, and its range has been compared to an opera singer’s. Like the langurs of the Subcontinent, the white-handed gibbon’s calls communicate among members of a troupe and also serve as an alarm for approaching predators and intruders for other species. Unfortunately, the soprano of the simians is singing less.
A report in The Guardian about research by an international team on the dark lar in Malaysia shows how the animal is less vocal when it is close to human settlements. A growing body of research shows how the constant noise from “civilisation” is affecting animals. In the case of social animals like the gibbon, their silence in response to traffic could affect their community life. The greater impact may be on other species that rely on the dark lar’s call as an alarm.
Overall Analysis
The editorial explores the impact of human-generated noise on wildlife, using the declining vocal activity of the white-handed gibbon as a starting point. Its central idea is that human disturbance does not merely make nature noisier; it can interfere with the communication systems and social behaviour of animals.
The opening sentence, “In the jungle, the sound of silence is a cacophony,” immediately establishes the editorial’s distinctive style. It is a paradox: silence normally means an absence of sound, while cacophony means a mixture of loud or unpleasant sounds. The author uses this apparent contradiction to explain that a forest that may seem quiet to humans is actually filled with communication among different species.
The writer then uses musical imagery to describe the gibbon. Words such as “chorus,” “vocalist,” “opera singer” and “soprano” transform animal calls into the language of music. This makes the scientific subject more vivid and accessible. The phrase “the soprano of the simians is singing less” is especially effective. It combines alliteration and metaphor while conveying the decline in the gibbon’s vocal behaviour. Simians refers to monkeys and apes.
The first paragraph also explains that the gibbon’s calls serve multiple ecological purposes. They allow members of a group to communicate and warn other species about predators and intruders. Therefore, the disappearance of these calls could have consequences beyond the gibbons themselves.
The second paragraph moves from description to evidence and consequence. The author refers to research showing that dark lars become less vocal near human settlements. The phrase “a growing body of research” indicates that this is not an isolated observation but part of a wider scientific understanding of the effects of human noise on animals.
The expression “noise from ‘civilisation’” is deliberately significant. The quotation marks around civilisation introduce a subtle critical edge: what humans consider progress or civilisation can simultaneously become a source of disturbance for other species.
The author then develops a cause-and-effect argument. Traffic noise → reduced gibbon communication → possible disruption of community life → potential consequences for other species that depend on gibbon calls as warning signals. This demonstrates that environmental damage can be indirect and interconnected, rather than affecting only the immediately visible species.
Overall, the editorial uses a literary style to communicate an ecological argument. Scientific observations are combined with metaphor, paradox, personification and sound-related imagery, making the piece both informative and evocative.
Important Vocabulary – 5
- Cacophony – a harsh or confusing mixture of sounds.
- Adept – highly skilled or proficient at something.
- Troupe – a group of performers; here, a social group of gibbons.
- Intruders – people or animals that enter a place where they are not wanted or expected.
- Simians – monkeys and apes; relating to primates.
Conclusion & Tone
The editorial highlights how human noise can disrupt the natural communication networks of wildlife. The gibbon’s reduced calling is not simply a loss of animal “song”; it could affect social relationships within its community and even the survival behaviour of other species that depend on its warning calls.
