Golden langur

There are an estimated 7,396 golden langurs in India, the latest survey of the primate has revealed.

About Golden langur:

• Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) belongs to the colobines, a large group of Old World monkeys.
  • The colobines are leaf-eating primates with a multi-chambered stomach that acts like a ruminant.  
• They are found in a small region of Western Assam, India and in the neighboring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan.
• They are a small, diurnal, and arboreal primates primarily reside in the upper canopy of trees.
• They are also known as golden leaf monkeys.
• They were first brought to the attention of the Western world by the naturalist Edward Pritchard Gee in the 1950s.

Habitat:

• Golden langurs live in moist evergreen and tropical deciduous forests, as well as some riverine areas and savannas in Assam and Bhutan.
• Their habitat is limited to the area surrounded by four geographical landmarks: the foothills of Bhutan to the north, Manas River to the east, Sankosh River to the west, and Brahmaputra River to the south.

Characteristics:

• They have a distinctive appearance with hair ranging from dark golden to creamy buff.
• Their faces are black and hairless, except for a long pale beard.
• During winter, their fur takes on a dark golden chestnut hue, while in the summer, it transitions to a lighter, more cream-colored tone.
• Golden langurs are primarily herbivorous, eating leaves, fruit, flowers, seeds, buds, and leguminous shrubs.

Threats:

• Habitat fragmentation and isolation: Deforestation and rural electrification have fragmented the golden langur’s habitat, especially in Assam.
• Poaching: Poaching is another threat to the golden langur.
• Inbreeding: Obstructions like wires and gaps in the forest from felling have increased the risk of inbreeding among golden langurs.

Conservations:

• IUCN: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix I
• Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule-I
• The Golden Langur Conservation Project (GLCP) was started in 1998 to protect the golden langur.
  • The GLCP uses community conservation methods to promote sustainable use of forests and agricultural land.