ASSAM: A recent study by respected organizations has thrown light on the increasing numbers of the endangered golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) in India According to media findings, these animals who these rare species number 7,396, divided into 707 groups. Led by Primate Research Center NE India (PRCNE), in collaboration with Assam Forest Department, Bodoland District Council, Salim Ali Center for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Conservation Himalayas, it covered the entire distribution of golden Langur.
The extensive two-phase survey covered important areas like the Manas Biosphere Reserve and fragmented forests in western Assam. The first phase, conducted in March and April 2020, focused on the western part of the Manas Biosphere Reserve, while the second phase, conducted in the same months in 2021, targeted landed on fragmented forests in Bongagaon, Kokrajhar and Dhubri districts.
Using the block counting method for the first time, the objective of the study was to assess golden langur population, geographic distribution and abundance H.N. Led by Kumara of SACON, the method proved effective in estimating relatively low population densities, revealing 7,396 individuals and 31 solitary males in 707 groups The study also defined two major subpopulations, the expanded northern population and the fragmented southern population. The northern population in the western core of the Manas Biosphere Reserve was estimated at 5,566 individuals, while the southern population divided south of NH27 to the Brahmaputra River had 1830 langurs.
But the study highlighted the harsh conditions in areas of segmented habitat that rightly highlights the urgent need for road links to farms and bridges to mitigate risks posed by human activity it noted that the average group size was smaller than predicted, indicating the challenges these primates face in their natural habitat As the conservation efforts intensify, the stakeholders continuously emphasize the importance of working together as a group to ensure the survival of golden langurs in the wild.
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