- The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca Silenus) has been forced to rummage through urban waste and grab food from houses, while they are supposed to be a shy and largely frugivorous primate.
- Lion-tailed macaques have silver-white manes contrasting with shiny coats of black fur and tufted tails.
- It is an arboreal primate endemic to select rainforests of the Western Ghats. They prefer upper canopies of rainforests.
- The lion-tailed macaque was reassessed and classified as an ‘endangered’ species in the IUCN Red List in 2020.
- About 2,500 mature individuals are distributed in the Western Ghats hill ranges between the Kalakkad Hills in the south and Sirsi-Honnavara in the north.
- The Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972 gives it the highest conservation priority by listing it under Schedule I.
| Valparai Plateau The Valparai plateau, known for its vast swathes of tea and coffee estates interspersed with forest patches that fall under the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.It is one of the 40-odd populations of the lion-tailed macaque in the Western Ghats, spread across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. The Valparai plateau is believed to have around 500, making it one of the important populations. |
Tamil Nadu Endangered Species Conservation Fund with a corpus of ₹50 crore. The lion-tailed macaque is one of the species to be covered under the fund.
Dig Deeper: What are the implications of losing fear among Lion-tailed Macaque to come closer to human Habitat?
