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Hanuman
is the Hindu god of healing and worship, and
the Hanuman Langur is deemed sacred in many
parts of India
The Hanuman langur, also known as the
gray langur, (genus semnopithecus)
belongs to the family cercopithecidae
subfamily colobinae. They are the
most widely distributed langur found in
Southeast Asia. The species occurs in
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet.
•In
Hindu legends, Hanuman
was a wise and brave
monkey god. He helped
Rama, an incarnation of
the god Vishnu, to
rescue his wife from
evil giants. While
battling the giants,
Hanuman’s tail caught on
fire, and he put his
tail in his mouth to
extinguish the fire,
which turned his face
black, thus providing a
mythological explanation
for why Hanuman langurs
have black faces.
Hanuman is
the Hindu god of healing and worship
Hanuman langurs often
live in or near temples.
Out of respect for
Hanuman, devotees bring
offerings of food to the
monkeys when they go to
the temples to worship.
Since habituated monkeys
are not afraid of humans
they feel safe stealing
from fruit tress in
people's gardens. Many
people allow the monkeys
to eat their crops, but
during food shortages
they may retaliate
against the monkey
thieves.
These primates have highly specialized diets
and consume primarily leaves along with
fruits and nuts. One of the most notable
characteristics of these primates is their
long strong limbs making them agile not only
in trees but fast runners on the ground.
These broad diet and movement patterns have
allowed the Hanuman langur to occupy various
habitats including desert areas, rainforests
and mountains.
Social grouping has been observed to occur
in multi-male and uni-male/ multi-female
groups. Order within groups is established
during a morning session of ‘wooping’ calls;
a vocalization also observed when these
monkeys are excited or happy. The lifespan
of these amazing primates is between 20-25
years.
There are seven subspecies of gray langurs:
|
Sub-species |
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Common name |
Latin name |
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Black-footed gray langur |
Semnopithecus hypoleucos |
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Kashmir gray langur |
Semnopithecus ajax |
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Nepal gray langur |
Semnopithecus schistaceus
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|
Northern plains gray langur |
Semnopithecus entellus |
|
Southern plains gray langur |
Semnopithecus dussumieri |
|
Tarai gray langur |
Semnopithecus hector |
|
Tufted gray langur |
Semnopithecus priam |
Primary threats
to the Hanuman langur, like many primates
and other species of wild life, is habitat
loss and degradation. In addition, conflict
with humans has become an issue in some
areas where Hanuman Langurs are forced to
live in close proximity.
Take Action
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Primates don’t make good pets, primates
belong in the wild. Be sure to spread
the word.
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Is it legal to have non-human primates
as pets in your state? If so, perhaps
write a letter to your local congress on
your concerns about primate pet welfare.
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