Primates in Peril

• 02 Jun 2025

Source: DTE 

Why in News? 

A recent report titled Primates in Peril highlights the increasing risks faced by 25 primate species from across the globe.  

• Out of 25 primates, 6 species belong to Africa, 4 species from Madagascar, 9 species from Asia, and 6 species from South America (Neotropics) 

What are the Key Primate Species Identified in the Report? 

• Most Endangered Primates: The Cross River Gorilla and Tapanuli Orangutan are highlighted as critically endangered in the report. 
  • Cross River gorillas are scattered in at least 11 groups in Cameroon and Nigeria, while the Tapanuli orangutan, the most endangered great ape, has fewer than 800 individuals. 
  • Both are listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 
• Primate Species from India: Phayre’s Langur and the Western Hoolock Gibbon, found in Northeast India and Bangladesh, were evaluated based on risks faced by them, but ultimately excluded from the final list. 
  • Phayre’s Langur: This primate, known for its distinct ‘spectacled’ appearance, is primarily found in eastern Bangladesh and northeastern India, including Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura. 
    • Behaviour: They are arboreal (primarily live in trees), diurnal, and folivorous (primarily leaf-eating), with a preference for young leaves. 
    • Conservation Status: It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and is listed as Endangered in IUCN Red list. 
      • It is found in three Protected Areas i.e., Sipahijala, Trishna, and Gumti Wildlife Sanctuaries in Tripura. 
  • Habitat: It prefers evergreen or semi-evergreen forests, mixed moist deciduous forests, as well as bamboo-rich areas, light woodlands, and regions near tea plantations.  
  • Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock): It is a tailless ape found in the tropical forests of India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, with black males having a white stripe above their eyes while females are light colored (beige, brown, grey). 
    • They are known for their loud, melodic duet calls, sung by male-female pairs to mark territory. Their vocal patterns are similar in both sexes. 
  • Behaviour: Gibbons are arboreal and navigate the canopy by leaping and swinging, with an omnivorous diet of plants, invertebrates, and bird eggs. 
    • They live in monogamous family groups, giving birth to a single offspring that stays with the mother for about two years. 
  • Habitat: They thrive in moist deciduous, evergreen, subtropical, and lowland forests, with a range spanning Northeast India, Bangladesh, and western/northern Myanmar. 
  • Conservation Status: It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and is listed as Endangered in IUCN Red list. 
  • The Western Hoolock Gibbon, India's only ape species, is found in the Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary located in Assam's Jorhat district.

What are the Other Key Primate Species Found in India? 

• Lorises: 
  • Grey Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus): Slim, nocturnal primate with a subtle spinal stripe. 
    • Two subspecies: Mysore (larger, grey) and Malabar (reddish-brown, round eye patches). 
    • Found in Western and Eastern Ghats. 
  • Bengal Slow Loris (Nycticebus bengalensis): Tail-less with prominent large eyes. 
    • Fur varies from ash-gray to buff-yellow. 
    • Inhabits northeastern India, especially south of the Brahmaputra River. 
• Langurs: 
  • Gee’s Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei): Seasonal fur color changes from cream/off-white to golden-orange. 
    • Black face, palms, and soles with golden whiskers. 
    • Found in Assam between Manas and Sankosh rivers. 
  • Nilgiri Langur (Semnopithecus johnii): Shiny black coat with yellowish fur patches. 
    • Lives in Western Ghats from Kodagu to Kanyakumari Hills. 
  • Capped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus): Distinctive colored “cap” on the head and long tail. 
    • Found across Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura. 
• Macaques: 
  • Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus): Dark, glossy coat with a long gray facial mane and tufted tail. 
    • Native to Western Ghats forests of Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. 
  • Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata): Recognizable swirl or “cap” of hair on the head. 
    • Long tail, longer than body, common in southern India. 
  • Stump-tailed Macaque (Macaca arctoides): Largest Indian macaque, short tail, reddish-pink face with beard-like ruff.

UPSC Civil Services Examination Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Prelims

Q. Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrape insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood? (2023) 

(a) Fishing cat 

(b) Orangutan 

(c) Otter 

(d) Sloth bear 

Ans (b)