nilgiri langur

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NILGIRI LANGUR/HANUMAN....WATERCOLOUR...A3...2013....The Nilgiri langur (Trachypithecus johnii) is a lutung (a type of Old World monkey) found in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats in South India. Its range also includes Kodagu in Karnataka, Kodayar Hills in Tamil Nadu, and many other hilly areas in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. This primate has glossy black fur on its body and golden brown fur on its head. It is similar in size and long-tailed like the gray langurs. Females have a white patch of fur on the inner thigh. It typically lives in troops of nine to ten monkeys. The animal is often seen encroaching into agricultural lands. Its diet consists of fruits, shoots and leaves. The species is endangered due to deforestation and poaching for its fur and flesh, the latter believed to have aphrodisiac properties. While habitat loss has been a major factor against them, the Nilgiri langur is perhaps the most hunted of India's primates and is killed for its fur, flesh and body parts which are said to contain medical properties. This has also resulted in this monkey being extremely wary and shy. A species endemic to the Western Ghats, this monkey is mainly threatened by the destruction of its habitat. Some good places to see this primate are the Anamalais (Indira Gandhi) Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring contiguous Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, Periyar Tiger Reserve also in Kerala and the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu. It is widely distributed through the Western Ghats and not just confined to these Parks. The favourite haunts of the Nilgiri Langur are the sholas, which are dense evergreen forests occupying the watercourses or folds in high elevation grasslands. It can be found even at elevations of 7000 feet (2135m) and is not generally found below 3000 feet (915m).