Attitudes and perceptions of people about the Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae): a preliminary study in Barail Wildlife Sanctuary, India
Main Article Content
Abstract
Conservation of any species needs the support and cooperation of local people. In order to understand the attitudes and perceptions of the locals about the Capped Langur, the present study was carried out around Barail Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam. The study was carried out through a questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and interaction with forest staff & local experts to assess the perception of present threats and conservation problems. A total of 400 respondents were interviewed during the study periods. The results reveal that a majority of respondents supported Capped Langur conservation. Habitat loss and fragmentation was considered a major threat (47%), followed by human exploitation (22%), developmental activities (17%), agricultural extension (8%), and hunting & teasing (6%). Knowledge concerning Capped Langurs and perceptions of threats varied considerably among respondents. Increased awareness among local people is suggested to motivate them towards conservation. Benefit sharing and promotion of value-added services through skill development could also be highly rewarding.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Alho, C.J.R. & J.S.V. Silva (2012). Effects of severe floods and droughts on wildlife of the Pantanal wetland (Brazil)- a review. Animals 2: 591−610. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani2040591
Baranga, D. (2004). Red tail monkey groups in forest patches outside the protected area systems in Kampla Area. African Journal of Ecology 42: 78−83. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2004.00465.x
Burkey, T.V. (1995). Extinction rates in archipelagoes: implications for populations in fragmented habitats. Conservation Biology 9: 527–541.
Chapman, C.A. & C.A. Peres (2001). Primate conservation in the new millennium: role of scientists. Evolutionary Anthropology 10: 16−33. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6505(2001)10:1<16::AID-EVAN1010>3.0.CO;2-O
Chapman, C.A. & D.A. Onderdonk (1998). Forests without primates: Primate/Plant codependency. American Journal of Primatology 45: 127−141. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2345(1998)45:1<127::AID-AJP9>3.0.CO;2-Y
Choudhury, A. (1989). Ecology of the Capped Langur in Assam, India. Folia Primatologica 52: 88–92. https://doi.org/10.1159/000156385
Choudhury, A. (1996). Primates in Assam - status and conservation. Tigerpaper 23: 14–17.
Choudhury, A. (2013). The Mammals of North-East India, 1st ed. Gibbon Books, Rhino Foundation, Guwahati, India, 432 pp.
Choudhury, A.S., R.A. Barbhuiya & P. Choudhury (2019). Understanding people’s perception and attitudes towards mammalian fauna using qualitative data: a case study in Barail Wildlife Sanctuary, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 11(15): 14979–14988. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.5283.11.15.14979-14988
Cincotta, R.P. & R. Engelman (2000). Nature’s Place; Human Population and the Future of Biological Diversity. Population Action International, Washington DC, 80 pp.
Das, J., D. Chetry, A. Choudhury & W. Bleisch (2020). Trachypithecus pileatus (errata version published in 2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22041A196580469. Accessed on 04 June 2022. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22041A196580469.en
Ehrlich, P.R. & H. Anne (1970). Population, Resources, Environment - Issues in Human Ecology. W.H. Freeman and Company, 383 pp.
Fahrig, L. (1997). Relative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on population extinction. The Journal of Wildlife Management 61(3): 603–610. https://doi.org/10.2307/3802168
Johnsingh, A.J.T. (1985). Understand, assist, protect and conserve. India Magazine 5: 64–71.
Katti, M. (1992). Nightmare in Dreamland. Hornbill 4: 4–9.
Kays, R.W. & A. Allison (2001). Arboreal tropical forest vertebrates: current knowledge and research trends. Plant Ecology 153: 109−120. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-3606-0_9
Kumar, A. & G.S. Solanki (2004). A rare feeding observation on water lilies (Nymphaeaalba) by capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus). Folia Primatologica 75: 157−159. https://doi.org/10.1159/000078306
Malhi, Y., J.T. Roberts, R.A. Betts, T.J. Killeen, W. Li & C.A. Nobre (2008). Climate change, deforestation and the fate of the Amazon. Science 319: 169−172. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1146961
Martins, M.M. (2005). Density of primates in four semi-deciduous forest fragments of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Biodiversity Conservation 14: 2321−2329.
Mir, R.A., S.K. Jain, A.K. Saraf & A. Goswami (2015). Accuracy assessment and trend analysis of MODIS-s derived data on snow-covered areas in the Sutlej basin, Western Himalayas. International Journal of Remote Sensing 36(15): 3837–3858. https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2015.1070320
Mukherjee, R.P., S. Chaudhuri & A. Murmu (1995). Population survey of South-Asian non-human primates in and around Darjeeling. Primate Report 41: 23–32.
Mutanga, C.N., S. Vengesayi, E. Gandiwa & N. Muboko (2015). Community perceptions of wildlife conservation and tourism: A case study of communities adjacent to four protected areas in Zimbabwe. Tropical Conservation Science 8(2): 564–582. https://doi.org/10.1177/194008291500800218
Pyritz, L.W., A.B.S. Buntge, K.H. Sebastian & M. Kessler (2010). Effects of habitat structure and fragmentation on diversity and abundance of primates in tropical deciduous forests in Bolivia. International Journal of Primatology 31: 796−812. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-010-9429-z
Raman, T.R.S., C. Mishra & A.J.T. Johnsingh (1995). Survey of primates in Mizoram, north-east, India. Primate Conservation 16: 59–62.
Rode, K.D., C.A. Chapman, L.R. McDowell & C. Stickler (2006). Nutritional correlates of population density across habitats and logging intensities in Red tail monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius). Biotropica 38: 625−634. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2006.00183.x
Rylands, A.B. (1987). Primate Communities in Amazonian forests: their habitats and food resources. Experientia 43: 265−279.
Schwitzer, C., L. Glatt, K.A.I. Nekaris & J.U. Ganzhorn (2011). Responses of animals to habitat alteration: on overview focusing on primates. Endangered Species Research 14: 31−38. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00334
Srivastava, A. (2006). Conservation of threatened primates of north-east India. Primate Conservation 20: 107–113. https://doi.org/10.1896/0898-6207.20.1.107
Srivastava, A., J, Das, J. Biswas, P. Bujarbarua, P. Sarkar, I.S. Bernstein & S.M. Mohnot (2001). Primate population decline in response to habitat loss: Borajan Reserve Forest of Assam, India. Primates 42(4): 401–406. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02629631
Stanford, C.B. (1991). The capped langur in Bangladesh: Behavioural ecology and reproductive tactics. Contributions to Primatology 26: 1–179.
Talukdar, N.R. & P. Choudhury (2020). Attitudes and Perceptions of the Local People on Human–Elephant Conflict in the Patharia Hills Reserve Forest of Assam, India. Proceedings of the Zoological Society 73: 380–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12595-020-00343-5
Talukdar, N.R., B. Singh & P. Choudhury (2018) Conservation status of some endangered mammals in Barak Valley, Northeast India. Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity 11: 167–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japb.2018.01.011
Talukdar, N.R., P. Choudhury, R.A. Barbhuiya, F. Ahmad, D. Daolagupu & J.B. Baishya (2021). Mammals of northeastern India: an updated checklist. Journal of Threatened Taxa 13(4): 18059–18098. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.6010.13.4.18059-18098