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News: The Gee’s golden langur remains one of the rarest and most threatened primates globally, found only in Assam in India.
About Gee’s Golden Langur
- Scientific name: Trachypithecus geei
- They are also known as simply the golden langur.
- They were first brought to the attention of the world by the naturalist Edward Pritchard Gee in the 1950s.
- Habitat
- They inhabit subtropical broadleaf forests of the Himalayan foothills, typically at elevations of 100-1,500 m.
- Distribution: They are endemic only to Assam and Bhutan.
- They are concentrated between the Manas and Sankosh rivers in India and the foothills of Bhutan’s Black Mountains.
- Range: Their range is largely confined to the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, Raimona National Park, Kakoijana Reserved Forest, parts of Manas National Park, and a few fragmented patches in Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts.
- In Assam, the population of golden langur is estimated to be around 7,400 individuals.
- Characteristics
- The langur’s long, silky coat gives it a luminous appearance that changes with the seasons.
- Males tend to have a deeper golden tone, while females and juveniles are lighter and silvery-white.
- The black face, pale beard, and long crown whorl of hair add to its distinctive look, and its tail often exceeds 1 metre.
- The species is strictly arboreal, using contiguous, tall canopy across moist evergreen, semi-evergreen and riverine forests.
- Socially, the langurs live in small groups averaging eight individuals, typically one male with several females and young ones.
- Unlike many primates, golden langurs are shy and avoid humans.
- Diet: They have a herbivorous diet of fruits, leaves, seeds, buds, and flowers.
- Threats
- Fragmentation of habitats due to construction of roads, powerlines and cleared corridors.
- Electrocution by power lines, road traffic and dog attacks
- Fragmentation also restricts gene flow, leading to inbreeding and long-term population decline.
- Conservation status
- IUCN: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
