Increasing human footprints in species’ habitat is increasing the intensity of human-langur conflict
Increasing human footprints in species’ habitat is increasing the intensity of human-langur conflict
A recent study by scientists has suggested a significant decline in the habitat of the golden langur. trachypithecus gei), an endangered primate species distributed across the border region of Bhutan and India.
A recent paper titled ,Future simulated landscape predictions of habitat loss for the golden langur (Trachypithecus ge): a range-level analysis for an endangered primate “sheds light on whether the endangered primate’s habit is conserved.
Golden langurs are easily recognized by the color of their fur, and are distributed in the forests of Tsirang, Sarpang, Zemgang and Trongsa districts of Bhutan. In India, fragmented and isolated populations of the species are distributed in Chirang, Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Bongaigaon districts of Assam.
“The results indicate that out of the total range range (66,320 km), only 12,265 km (18.49%) is currently suitable for the species, which will be reduced to 8884 km by the year 2031, the dominant range. These suitable habitats are largely scattered and fragmented in the species’ southern range,” the paper explains. The paper has been published by scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), which also includes Lalit Kumar Sharma, the officer-in-charge of ZSI’s wildlife section.
While most of the suitable areas in the northern range distributed in Bhutan are connected, except for a few scattered small patches in the northeast, the model shows a scattered distribution with fragmented populations in the southern part of the range located in Assam, India. Only 14.39% of the future suitable areas fall within the protected area (PA) networks of the two countries across the entire global distribution range. The study reported that the potential new suitable area gain within the PA would remain at 547 km2, which is less than the loss of suitable habitats (1,412 km2) from the PA.
Scientists say that most of the southern population in Assam is currently distributed in reserve forests that are subject to high levels of anthropogenic pressure. Barring the efforts of some local people and non-governmental agencies, many forest fragments in lower Assam keep small and isolated populations of golden langurs without any conservation initiatives. In recent years, studies in these areas have reported cases of human–langur conflict, and these cases are increasing in intensity as human footprints increase in the species’ habitat.
“We found that the impacts of land-use change would be more fatal to the survival of the golden langur than human-induced climate change. Therefore, forest patches identified with suitable habitats should be prioritized by forest managers for the implementation of habitat improvement activities. Dr. Sharma said. Recently, villagers near Kakoijana Reserve Forest in Assam’s Bongaigaon district protested the state government’s decision to mark the area as a wildlife sanctuary. Earlier, 1990 In the decade of 1970, wood extraction by extremist groups in the region resulted in the destruction of forest areas in southern Assam. While recent community conservation programs by the government yielded positive results for the golden langur population of Manas National Park, the fragmented and The isolated population is still critically endangered.