Assam's Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary continues to be safe haven for golden langur despite conservation threats

Despite conservation threats posed by encroachment and illegal logging, the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary in western Assam, situated close to the Bhutan border has maintained its stature as the biggest habitat of the golden langur, one of the 25 most endangered primate species in the world.

A survey conducted by a group of wildlife conservationists in Assam has found that the golden langur population in the 45-sq km sanctuary increased by over 17% -- from 474 in 2006 to 558 in 2016-17. The survey report, published in the Primate Conservation journal on Wednesday, said that a total of 558 such langurs were found in 72 groups during the latest survey between 2016 and 2017. The average group size also increased from 7.4 in 2006 to 7.75.

"This minimum population size of 558 indicates that Chakrashila is the biggest habitat for golden langur in the country. Golden langurs are found in Bhutan too but the population there is decreasing due to many reasons and so the growth in the population in Chakrashila is definitely encouraging," said Dilip Chetry, a primatologist with Aaranyak, a wildlife conservation group in Guwahati.

Chetry led the group of researchers comprising Mridupaban Phukan, Rekha Chetry, R. N. Boro, Arup Kumar Das and P. C. Bhattacharjee.

Golden langurs are endemic to Bhutan and India (Assam). The Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary. situated between the Manas river in the east, Sankosh river in the west, and the Brahmaputra river in the south in western Assam's Kokrajhar and Dhubri district, is the species' biggest habitat. A small population of the primate species is also found in Tripura.

The increase in the population of golden langurs in Chakrashila despite the threats posed by encroachment, tree felling has led the conservationists to push for the national park status to the sanctuary.

"The comparative population status clearly shows that the golden langur continues to thrive despite the ongoing habitat loss, encroachment, and other anthropogenic pressures. From the long-term conservation perspective, however, we cannot allow these threats to continue in the coming years. We, therefore, advocate for an integrated management program of forest fragments, using the golden langur as a flagship species to safeguard its conservation and that of the rich wildlife in the sanctuary. The government should take the necessary steps to upgrade and expand the Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, to include its adjacent Sreegram Reserve Forest, Katrigacha Reserve Forest, Buxa Reserve Forest and Nadangiri Hill Reserve Forest, to create a full-fledged national park," the researchers said in the report.

This, according to conservationists, will push tourism in western Assam districts, which has comparatively remained untapped so far.