Organised by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), in collaboration with the Primate Research Centre-NE, Bodoland Territorial Council and the Assam Forest Department, a workshop on building collaborations for conservation strategies and action plans for the endangered Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei) ws held at Bongaigaon on March 25.
Golden Langur
- Species Name: Trachypithecus geei.
- Family: Cercopithecidae (Old World Monkeys).
- Subfamily: Colobinae (Leaf-eating monkeys).
- Discovered By:P. Gee in 1953; formally described by Khajuria in 1956.
- Endemic Range: Found only in western Assam (India) and southern Bhutan, restricted between Sankosh and Beki rivers in the eastern Himalayas.
Physical Characteristics:
- Golden-orange fur. Coat color changes with seasons (cream in summer, dark golden in winter).
- Facial Features: Black hairless face with a pale beard; protective hair whorl on the crown.
- Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger and more robust than females.
- Active during the day (Diurnal) and primarily live in trees (Arboreal).
- Golden Langurs live in troops of 3 to 15 individuals, typically a single male with multiple females or occasionally all-male groups.
Conservation Status:
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- Protected under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix I.
- Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 (now the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act 2022) lists the Golden Langur in Schedule I
Threats: Habitat fragmentation, road accidents, electrocution, and human-wildlife conflict.
Population: Estimated around 7,000 individuals remaining in the wild.
Government initiatives:
New protected areas:
- Raimona National Park
- Sikhna Jwhwlao National Park
Existing areas: Manas National Park, Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary
