Why in the News?
The first cases of abortion due to electrocution of a female Gee’s golden langur was reported in Nayekgaon near Kokrajhar, about 225 km west of Guwahati, on June 5, 2020.
Golden langurs use the upper canopy of trees to travel but the three-phase electric wire came in the female’s way.
UPSC Prelims Facts about Gee’s golden langur
Gee’s golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) is endemic to the semi-evergreen and mixed-deciduous forests straddling India and Bhutan.
Gee’s Golden langur is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which means the highest level of protection in the country.
It is listed as ‘endangered’ by the IUCN Red List.
The golden langurs in Assam are hemmed in by three rivers — Brahmaputra in the south, Manas in east and Sonkosh in west. Their northern limit is the range of hills in Bhutan up to 2,400 metres above sea level.
The Golden Langur Conservation Project (GLCP) was initiated in 1998.
Source: The Hindu and Wildlife Trust India
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