HOPE report

Number:19-050

Field Survey on the Primate Distribution and Present Status in Northeast India

Report:Hamada Yuzuru

Date:2007/10/11 - 2007/11/11

Starting from Guwahati City, Assam, we started survey with the observation of Assamese macaques (2-3 troops and 2-300 individuals) and Capped langurs (1 troop, 7 individuals). The forested area at the hinterland mountainous area of Kaziranga National Park appears the appropriate habitats for Primates. Although Gibbons Wildlife Sanctuary has the area of about 20 km2, 4 species of macaques, capped langurs and gibbons were found to share the habitat, is the appropriate locality for the study of ecology and behaviour of primates.
We surveyed the distribution and present status of primates, especially the M. munzara macaques through the interview and direct-observation along the road connecting Bhalukpung and Zemithang via Tawang. We could observe munzara macaques at four localities with the altitude of more than 2,000m, and found rhesus macaque are reported to be distributed in area below 2,000 m altitude.

Figure1. Eastern Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis assamensis) inhabiting the Tukreshwari Temple (GPS= 26^o 03'N, 90^o 38'E, Altitude= 38m above sea level)), suburbs of Goalpara, Assam, India. The temple locates at the foot of small isolated mountain (Altitude= 135m) and harbours 2-300 Assamese macaque individuals of 2-3 troops and one troop of capped-langur, with 6-8 members.

Figure 2. Capped langurs observed in the Gibbons Wildlife Sanctuary, suburbs of Jorhat City, eastern part of Assam state, India (with the area of about 20 square km, GPS= 26^o 45.5'N, 94^o12.7'E, Altitude= 95m). Four species of macaques (rhesus, Assamese, pig-tailed, and stump-tailed), Hoolock gibbons, and slow lorises inhabit the Wildlife Sanctuary in Primates together with such mammals as elephants and leopards.

Figure 3. Arunachal monkeys (Macaca munazala) reported in 2005 can be found in the area with 2,000m above sea level or more in the western mountainous area of Arunachal Pradesh, India. This individual was found in the riverine forest close to the Zemithang village which is located close to the northwestern end of this state. Arunachal monkeys look similar to the eastern Assamese monkeys (Macaca assamensis assamensis) in general, but differ in that their pelage is darker, that the density of hair is higher than the eastern Assamese monkeys, and that they have crest at the crown.