Subject:  Report on Golden Langur
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In a presentation at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America,
C. Southwick, R.P.Mukherjee, A. Srivastava and P. Horvich brought to 
attention the critical status of the Golden Langur in India. The abstract 
of their presentation follows.


Ghazala Shahabuddin
Durham, NC, USA

________________________________________________________________________

Natural populations of the golden langur (Presbytis geei) occur in a 
relatively small area of Assam and southern Bhutan.  A group has also 
been introduced to the Sepahijala Reserve Forest of Tripura east of 
Bangladesh. Two years of forest survey by two field teams in Assam 
located fewer than 100 groups of golden langurs, primarily in western 
Assam, between the borders of Bhutan and Meghalaya. All groups were found 
in disturbed forest patches except those in Manas National Park. 
Remaining forest areas around Manas are being deforested. The largest 
langur group contained only 20 individuals, and average group sizes were 
8.8 in western Assam and 9.0 in central Assam. Of 325 individuals 
carefully identified, 16% were adult males, 59% adult females, 12% 
infants and 13% juveniles-an age structure indicating low reproduction 
and/or high mortality of young. These data indicate that the total 
population of golden langurs in India may be fewer than 1500 individuals. 
Small groups sizes, scattered and isolated distribution, few infants and 
juveniles, and rapid habitat losses are all causes for urgent 
conservation action.

C.H. Southwick, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
R.P. Mukherjee, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, India
A. Srivastava, Indo-US Primate Project, PO Box 152, Guwahati, Assam, India
R. Horwich, Community Conservation Consultants, Rt 1, Box 96, Gays Mills, 
  WI 54631 USA