On October 24, International Gibbon Day, Shanghai Roots & Shoots partnered with Shanghai Zoo for the sixth consecutive year to launch the “Making Toys for Gibbons” Exhibition. Although unexpected rain and wind came along, the enthusiasm of the participants was beyond our expectations. If anything, the weather added a special warmth and sense of togetherness to this memorable encounter between young people and gibbons. Let's take a look back at the highlights of this wonderful day!
Creative Showcase: An Indoor Forest Full of Little Surprises
Inside the Education Center at Shanghai Zoo, we transformed an open space and a row of long tables into a lively little “indoor forest.” Nine teams gathered one after another, ready to present their creative ideas. A bustling marketplace filled with imagination and goodwill was officially underway!
Alongside their carefully crafted enrichment toys, each team brought an impressive collection of creations: hand-drawn educational display boards, original gibbon cartoon characters, and an assortment of custom-designed merchandise. Their tables were soon brimming with creativity and enthusiasm!
The showcase also featured interactive educational activities. “What do gibbons like to eat?” “How did primates evolve?” Through our interactive display boards, participants learned about gibbons' diets and the basics of primate evolution. And after exercising their minds, it was time to get hands-on! At the origami station, participants followed step-by-step instructions to fold their own paper gibbons, while discovering more about gibbons' long arms, distinctive postures, and unique ways of life.
The Exciting Competition: Who Took Home the Top Three Enrichment Toy Awards?
The judging session was another highly anticipated highlight! The students had spent a full month preparing for this moment. They repeatedly revised their designs, tested prototypes, and made adjustments. Beyond their desire to speak up for gibbons, they also shared a heartfelt hope: that their creations would earn the judges' recognition and the approval of the zoo experts, and perhaps even have the opportunity to be placed in the zoo's exhibition areas to improve the animals' welfare.
The judges visited each team's booth, stopping to examine the details of the toys, leaning in to listen carefully as the students explained the thought and ingenuity behind every design, and taking time to appreciate each handmade creation that embodied so much hard work and dedication.
After an exciting on-site evaluation, combined with enthusiastic public voting online, the TOP 3 teams were announced!
From left to right:
First Prize: YKPS Roots & Shoots, YK Pao School
Second Prize: Tigers and Gibbons Are Friends, Shanghai Dongzhan Private Primary School
Third Prize: Jincai Gibbon Guardians, Shanghai Jincai North Secondary School
Discovering the “Ark” | Hearing the Call of Gibbons Along the Border
After the competition, we turned our attention to the forests where gibbons live. We were delighted to invite Xu Jian, filmmaker of the documentary Ark: Cao Vit Gibbon, to Shanghai Zoo to share firsthand conservation stories from behind the camera with audiences young and old.
“You may have heard of ostriches, but you may not know Otis tarda. You may recognize wildebeest, but perhaps not the Budorcas taxicolor...”
The earth is home to countless unique species, yet it has also witnessed the heartbreaking disappearance of wildlife. Through vivid footage and stories from his own field experiences, Mr. Xu helped the young audience understand that species loss is not some distant headline. Conservation begins with seeing, and with understanding.
Following the presentation, everyone gathered to watch the documentary Ark: Cao Vit Gibbon. The camera takes us deep into the karst forests along the China–Vietnam border, documenting both the challenging circumstances faced by Cao Vit Gibbons and the unwavering dedication of conservationists working across the border, day after day. Even after the screen went dark, the discussions continued. The students came away with a deeper understanding of the meaning and impact of their own handmade toys.
And our commitment to gibbon conservation extends far beyond this one day! Two public documentary screenings and sharing sessions, held at the Changfeng Branch of the Shanghai Children's Library and East Nanjing Road Community Hall, brought real-life stories of field surveys and habitat restoration to families and children. Meanwhile, in Ren Zhuang Town of Jingxi, Guangxi, we took our conservation outreach even further through the “Together for Gibbons, Together for Our Home” community awareness campaign. We visited local kindergartens to bring gibbon education into classrooms.
From the traveling exhibition at Shanghai Zoo, to urban libraries, and all the way to rural communities in Guangxi, we are taking the stories of gibbons to an ever-wider audience. As Dr. Jane Goodall once said:“Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.”We look forward to having more people join us on this journey, listening together to the calls of gibbons along the border and working together to protect their future!
Acknowledgements
We sincerely thank the following organizations, partners and schools for their support and contribution to the 2026 International Gibbon Day campaign:
Participating Schools and Organizations:
Shanghai HeQing Middle School
Shanghai Southwest Weiyu Middle School
YK Pao School
Wellington College International School, Hangzhou
Shanghai Jincai North Secondary School
Shanghai Dongzhan Private Primary School
Shanghai Experimental School West Campus
Chuxin Scouts
Shanghai University of Engineering Science
Shanghai Jinshan Hangzhou Bay Bilingual School
Shanghai Wenlai Experimental School
Shanghai Huxin High School
Shanghai Caoyang Middle School
Shanghai Xiangshan Middle School
Dulwich College Shanghai
Shanghai American School
Shanghai Private Pinghe School
Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School
Love, Care and Inclusion for Kids and Gibbons
*Listed in no specific order
Special Contributors:
Shanghai Zoo
Guangxi Bangliang Gibbon National Nature Reserve
Colorful Nature Films
Shanghai Children's Library
East Nanjing Road Subdistrict
*Listed in no specific order