Coming soon! A new unique and exciting tour focussing on the Primates of India. Being mans closest relative primates have always held a fascination for us and are one of the most studied groups in the animal kingdom. All primates except prosimians (lemurs, lorises, galagos and tarsiers ) have a complex social complex with social bonding playing a pivotal role in their lives, reminiscent of mankind’s on behaviour. India has 15 recorded species with many of them having the unenviable claim to being on the IUCN Red Data List and a third of them being further classified as Endangered.
The main focus of this tour will be 4 of the countries most endangered primates; Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei), Lion-Tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus), Stump-Tailed Macaque (Macaca arctoides) and the Hoolock Gibbon (Bunopithecus hoolock). The Western Ghats is famous for the Lion-Tailed Macaque which is endemic to the region and is responsible for one of India’s fiercest conservation debates resulting in the Save Silent Valley project in the Silent Valley National Park, the least disturbed viable habitat for this species. Other speices which we may encounter in the Western Ghats is the Slender Loris (Loris lyddekerianus) and another endemic primate the Nilgiri Langur (Trachypithecus johnii). The two parks we will explore in this region will be Anamlai Wildlife Sanctuary and Periyar Tiger Reserve. Some of the other endangered animals that inhabit the region which we will keep an eye for are Elephant, Tiger and Dhole.
From the Western Ghats we will head off to Assam one the most ecologically diverse states in India where we will be searching for the Stump Tailed Macaque, Golden Langur and Hoolock Giboon. Exploring the Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary will give us the best chance of seeing the Hoolock Gibbon the most endangered primate and only ape in India. Specifically adapted to a live in the tree tops it has very rarely been recorded on the ground preferring to use “brachiation” – a specialised type of locomotion involving swinging hand over hand. This unfortunately has contributed to its rapid decline due to logging of the forests making paths to wide to cross resulting in populations being fragmented. Other primates we may be lucky enough to see here are the Slow Loris (Nycticebus bengalensis) and the Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca leonina). Our last stop on this incredible adventure is Manas National Park, home to the most beautiful Langur, the Golden Langur only discovered as recently as 1956. Being location specific with an estimated population of less than a thousand and declining this primates future is precarious. Found only along the border of Bhutan and India it is one of the jewels of Indian Wildlife.
This tour is not like most safaris and will involve both 4x4 gypsies and walking. There will be a fair bit of walking through dense tropical forests on this tour, and we will come into contact with leeches therefore it is advisable to do this tour in the colder drier months with December and January being the best times.
