The number of lion-tailed macaques — a type of monkey indigenous to India’s Western Ghats — is declining. Scientists estimate that just 2,500 mature macaques remain in the wild. Further, their population is expected to suffer an estimated decline of more than 20% in the next 25 years. Decades of urban sprawl have eaten into their habitat — they do not live, feed or travel through plantations. The shy and frugivorous primate typically prefers upper canopies of evergreen rainforests. Researchers have also observed that the monkey is being steadily replaced by the aggressive rhesus monkey from northern parts of the country.
RELATED READ: How nature will command us with climate change
Also Read: How Indian Americans compare with other Asian Americans
