Himalayan Grey Langur

• Himalayan Gray Langurs (Semnopithecus ajax) are also called the Chamban Langurs or Chamba Sacred Langurs.
• The Gray Langur was once considered a sub-species of the Semnopithecus entellus, commonly known as the Bengal Sacred Langur or Hanuman Langur, but it was separated as a species in 2005.
• They are colobine i.e they are leaf-eating animals. They also eats seeds, flowers, buds, bark and insects, including caterpillars. 
• They are also called the Kashmir gray langur.
• It is grey washed with buff or silvery shades. Their hands and feet are black and they have long tails for balancing on tree limbs.

• Habitat:
  • It is found both in forests and near human habitations.
  • These species live at an elevation of 2200-4000 m above sea level. 
  • Their population is mostly concentrated in the subtropical, tropical moist, temperate, alpine, coniferous and broadleaf forests. 
  • he Himalayan Grey Langur is present in a particular area only during some parts of the year.
  • They change their locality during different seasons, depending upon the availability of food and environmental conditions.
• Distribution:
  • It is distributed in a varied habitat including dry savannah and tropical rainforests.
  • In the Indian Subcontinent, their distribution is reported in the Chamba district of western Himachal Pradesh, south to the Tapti River and the Krishna River, Bhutan, and Nepal.
• Threat:
  • The Himalayan grey langur is facing threats from multiple factors such as: 
    • Fragmentation,
    • Deforestation,
    • Persecution and retaliatory killing due to crop destruction, and
    • Commercial horticulture expansion.
    • Mining and Pollution.
• Protection Status:
  • Protected under Schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. 
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern
  • CITES: Appendix-I
  • The two protected areas: Machiara National Park and the Dachigam National Park. 

Steps for Conservation

• The Himalayan langur project was started by a Biological Anthropologist in 2014 Dr. Himani Nautiyal with the following objectives:
  • Provide local people with knowledge of the Chamba Sacred Langur and its habitat.
  • Develop positive attitudes towards the conservation of the species and nature.
  • Encourage people to enact environment-friendly behaviours. 

A recent study has concluded that altitude plays an important role in deciding the food habits of the Himalayan Gray Langur.