Mammals of northeastern India: an updated checklist

Attitudes and perceptions of people about the Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileatus (Mammalia: Primates: Cercopithecidae): a preliminary study in Barail Wildlife Sanctuary, India

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.

Ethnozoological use of primates in northeastern India

Ethnozoological practices to cure various diseases have a long history. Communities that reside near the forest collect wild animals and their derivatives to prepare medicines and get relief from diseases. Northeastern India is home to many tribes with vast traditional ethnobiological knowledge, and there are many reports of zootherapeutic uses in the region. In an attempt to understand primate-based ethnozoologic use in the area a literature survey was carried out using different sources. The findings revealed that Hoolock hoolock was the most used species among the primates (48 %), followed by Macaca assamensis (20 %) and Macaca mulatta (10 %). Among the materials used, the flesh of primates was the most dominant (43 %), followed by the blood (20 %) and brain (14 %). This paper highlights the negative effects of ethno-medicinal uses of primates to draw the attention of conservationists and encourage conservation education to address the damage to primates in the name of health care. Government agencies are also requested to strengthen health care systems to discourage the killing of valuable primate species.