Conservation Status of the Golden Langur Trachypithecus geei in Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam, India

The golden langur, Trachypithecus geei, is among the world’s 25 most endangered primates. It is endemic to India and Bhutan. Its distribution is limited to a small forest belt in western Assam in India and in Bhutan, between the River Manas in the east, River Sankosh in the west, and the Brahmaputra in the south. We carried out a survey of the golden langur in the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, the sole protected habitat for golden langurs in India, from December 2016 to March 2017. Modified line transects and total count methods were used for data collection. A total of 558 individuals in 72 groups were counted along the transects through direct sightings. Group size ranged from 2 to 18 individuals, with a mean size of 7.75. The adult male to female sex ratio was 1:2.06 and the ratio of adult females to infants was 1:0.461. The age structure of the population observed comprised 62.4% adults, 22.4% juveniles, and 15.2% infants. Encroachment, illegal tree felling, fuelwood collection and grazing by the different fringe villages are identified as major threats for golden langurs in and around the sanctuary. This information on the status and threats spectrum of the golden langur in Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary will help in formulating the future conservation and management guidelines.