The Golden Langur

Gee’s golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), endemic to the semi-evergreen and mixed-deciduous forests straddling India and Bhutan. The geographic range of golden langurs is limited to Assam, India and neighboring Bhutan where they live year-round.

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

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.

Researchers have said that this monkey works hard to avoid human interactions, making them extremely difficult to observe in the wild. According to local myth, Gee’s golden langur is considered a good omen when sighted on a journey.

It is fond of rock salt enriched with minerals and is often seen hanging on rocky cliffs eating salt in Bhutan. Golden langur and lion tailed macaques are not ape they belong to family old world monkeys which also include mandrills, baboons and all other monkeys in asia and africa.

Golden langurs can be most easily recognized by the color of their fur, after which they are named it has been noted that their fur changes colors according to the seasons as well as geography (region they live in).The color of the young also differs from adults in that they are almost pure white.They are highly dependent on trees, living in the upper canopy of forests. They are also known as leaf monkeys.

There are many such creatures in the whole world which are either completely extinct or are on the verge of extinction. One of them is the golden langur whose number has fallen so rapidly that now only 400 golden langurs are left. These very small and squirrel-sized langurs can be seen in the rainforests of Brazil. This golden langur is also called tamarin.

This species is now reduced to a few in the forest areas including Manas National Park of Assam. Assam is the only state in the country where there are Golden Langurs in the zoo.