India-Bhutan experts unite to save endangered golden langur

Guwahati, March 27: A workshop on building collaborations for conservations strategies and action plans for the endangered Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei) was held at Bongaigaon on March 25.

Organised by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), in collaboration with the Primate Research Centre-NE, Bodoland Territorial Council and the Assam Forest Department, the international workshop and consultation was supported by the Royal Enfield Social Mission. Leading primatologists and conservation practitioners from India and Bhutan participated and shared insights to secure the future of this species in its distribution ranges.

The Golden Langur is a strikingly beautiful primate endemic to western. Assam and southern Bhutan and found only between the Sankosh and Beki rivers in the eastern Himalayan landscape. This species faces increasing threats from habitat fragmentation, road accidents, electrocution, and human-wildlife conflict. With only about 7,000 individuals remaining in the wild, this workshop aimed to unite conservationists, community leaders, researchers, and policymakers to develop actionable strategies to secure the species' future.

Vivek Menon, executive director of WTI and councillor of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), chaired the workshop. In his address, he stressed that the golden langur's survival hinges on innovative solutions and cross-border cooperation and that the workshop was a vital step toward aligning efforts in India and Bhutan to protect this endangered primate and its fragile habitat.

The chief executive member of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Pramod Boro was the chief guest of the programme. He welcomed all experts and primatologists to BTC for this important mission to draw a roadmap for saving the Golden Langur. The programme was also attended by Ranjit Basumatary, executive Member of BTC and in-charge of Forests. He highlighted the recent efforts made by the BTC in safeguarding the habitat of this species by establishing new protected areas such as Raimona National Park and Sikhna Jwhwlao National Park apart from the existing Manas National Park and Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary. Bidisha Dey, executive director, Eicher Group Foundation, the CSR arm of Royal Enfield, expressed her organisation's support, saying, "At Royal Enfield Social Mission, we recognise the importance of working towards the protection and conservation of the Golden Langur. Dr Mewa Singh, a revered primatologist with over five decades of experience in primate conservation in India, actively participated and offered valuable insights.

Dr Russell Mittermeier, chair of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, enthusiastically endorsed the initiative, emphasising the critical role of the action plan. He stated, "Action Planning has long been a cornerstone of the IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group dating back to the first Global Strategy for Primate Conservation in 1977 and the first modern action plans in the 1980s. We are delighted that an Action Plan is now in preparation for the Golden Langur, long one of India's most iconic species."

Forest officials from neighbouring Bhutan shared their ongoing efforts to conserve the Golden Langur and expressed enthusiasm for collaborating with their Indian counterparts to protect this species across its transboundary range.

Experts from the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun), Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON, Coimbatore), and other primatologists presented diverse suggestions for the conservation and management of the Golden Langur and its unique habitats in Assam and Bhutan.

Drawing on the importance and recommendations from these experts, a vision document will be prepared outlining actionable steps and timelines. This document will serve as a guiding document for conservation organisations and governments to secure the Golden Langur's future in Assam and Bhutan