Golden Langurs suffer forced abortion, infanticide

Primatologists have observed that the Gee’s golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), endemic to the semi-evergreen and mixed-deciduous forests straddling India and Bhutan, induce stillbirth of babies killed inside the womb of females, besides practising infanticide.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz 2020

Key-Points

It is an endangered species of monkey, found only in Assam and parts of Bhutan.

The golden langurs in Assam are hemmed in by three rivers, Brahmaputra in the south, Manas in east and Sonkosh in west.

Golden langurs occupy moist evergreen and tropical deciduous forests as well as some riverine areas and savannas in Assam and Bhutan.

Their hair of its ranges from dark golden to creamy buff and their faces are black and hairless except for a long pale beard. It has been noted that their fur changes colors according to the seasons.

In 2003, they were considered endangered by the IUCN Red List, and listed as Appendix I on the CITES website.

The main reason for low numbers of golden langurs is because of their localized habitat and the rapid loss of this habitat due to deforestation.

Chakrashila is India’s first wildlife sanctuary with golden langur as the primary species. Chakrashila has about 600 golden langurs whose population is scattered across western Assam and the foothills of Bhutan.