Gibbons: Back in the Swing (2008)

The five part series examines the lives of gibbons which have survived exploitation as tourist attractions and are undergoing rehabilitation. "It's a quite horrific," says filmmaker Adrian Cale, who writes, presents and produces the series. "The mothers are shot to get at the babies which are then taken until they are 3-4 years of age when they are killed or discarded to be replaced with a younger one." The series follows the journeys of individual gibbon characters as well as uncovering the reasons gibbons are in a precarious position in Thailand, addressing issues such as deforestation, hunting and the tourist industry. It chronicles the day to day work that goes into gibbon rehabilitation at three very different centers, highlighting the extraordinary relationships that exist between the gibbons and their carers.