Denizens of the Western Ghats
Different shades of green, as you observe the Sholas from a distance, starting from the light one at the top to getting darker towards the bottom. These montane wet forests are found at an elevation of more than 1500 meters where the upper layer in called as Sholas grasslands
Landscape containing Sholas, evergreen forests and tea estates.
They are home to many threatened and endemic species. One of the denizens that inhabits amidst these multiple layers of green forests is an outstandingly shy colobine - Nilgiri Langur (Semnopithecus johnii). Easy to distinguish them with their black fur which notoriously shines when the light falls on it. While their crown has a reddish or golden brown fur, which again is quite an attractive feature. Although they are distributed throughout various regions - from semi-evergreen, montane temperate green to riverine forests, their preferred habitat is evergreen forests due to the abundance of leaves. And they are highly arboreal.
I got an opportunity to photograph and observe the behaviour of one such troop residing in a small evergreen patch of Anamalais. One adult near to me was descending unaware of my presence initially. And the moment it looked at me, with an extraordinary pace hopped from one branch to another. While it was bouncing I could it help but to notice its long tail. It is as lengthy as the body itself.
Given their extremely shy nature and their appearance which submerges in the dark canopy, it was extremely challenging for me to photograph them. In most occasions I had overexpose while taking images of them. That was another challenge for me as I had to slide my exposure compensation left and right almost every time they moved.
Nilgiri Langur, a primate that is endemic to Western Ghats.
And because they sprint away swiftly every time I see them, I needed to prove that I am not a threat. The only way it could be possible is by staying there but not staring at them. After approximately an hour of strolling on the road, taking a glance at the blank blue sky and occasionally removing the ever greedy leeches on my legs, one monkey finally decided to descend as it might have got an impression that this fellow primate is actually harmless. Still I was not in a hurry to press the shutter yet.
I saw him and pretended as if I did not. Still strolling, keeping my head down and adjusting the camera settings appropriate to the light as I know I might not get as many snaps I want to. I slowly walked, stood behind an empty house and carefully focussed my camera while it was foraging on leaves. Within few seconds it lifted its head and this is what I appreciate more, a surprise ! It indeed gave me one by not turning its back but continued to eat its favorite meal - leaves. They are hardcore foliovorous and are highly dependent on leaves (mainly Cullenia exarillata). Hence, they are also called as Black leaf monkey or Hooded leaf monkey.
They are very selective on their food. They do not jump on every tree which has leaves. Also, they prefer young leaves in moist deciduous forests while mature leaves when in evergreen forests. Although leaves form a primary component in their diet, they also look for flowers, buds and fruits - especially during wet periods. - as a result they also play a key role of seed dispersals. They feed very rare on invertebrates.
Occasionally it would glance at me and show its teeth. An expression which kept me in confusion, whether to move away or stay. It did for the second time again and continued to eat leaves. I assumed it was an expression of warning not to come any closer.
Usually they sprint quite fast if they felt threatened but since it did not move, I chose neither to move ahead nor to move back, but just watched him where I was through the view finder of the camera. It showed that expression one more time before moving on to the branch nearby. I was hesitant initially but later decided not to follow him. This time it casually walked on the branches and chose to rest on the one where the leaves are in abundant, not quite far away from the place where I was standing.
Nilgiri Langurs are mainly foliovorous, prefers leaves as their main diet.
When they show their gums and teeth with head moving upwards, it means they are are threatened.
Later I had learned that the expression was due to the fact that he was indeed under the impression that I was a threat. Nilgiri Langurs usually expose their teeth and gums with forehead pulled back - this is an expression for fear.
With no monkey closer by, I started to look at the entire troop to understand what exactly they do. There were 10 in the troop sitting in different trees. Few were solitary, few ever hungry ones were feeding on leaves, one or two were resting while the young ones were playing. And then there was a female carrying an infant in a typical way that many monkeys do, carry on their abdomen. It was nursing. Nilgiri Langurs give birth to a single offspring and it is twice in a year - May to June and September to November. This is could be due to abundance of food in these months. The infants are nursed until approximately a year and carry in their abdomen until they mature.
And although majority of the time its head was buried inside the glossy fur of its mother, the young one occasionally turned its head towards me and least bothered with my presence. However, I think the mother was constantly watching me even before I paid attention to these two or perhaps even before when I was taking pictures of the semi confident male earlier.
Nilgiri langur with an infant.
The female did not move or perhaps preparing for a sprint inside the forest. It remained there gazing at me and sometimes either scratching its head or grooming the hugging infant. It was late in the evening, the monkeys were either lazing or foraging on leaves unusually quite slow, sitting high in the canopy. While observing them, I had realised the light was disappearing steadily. The rain was unrushed though. However the monkeys, as if someone had given them the signal had started to hop casually from one branch to the another to take shelter under the overstory, they might have sensed a heavy downpour, which eventually fell later that evening.
With almost no light to photograph the monkeys, I had to bid farewell to them with a hope of seeing them again. I had indeed seen them again the very next day. In the same location, but on different trees. Quite far for my lens to recognise them automatically. But I stayed there and watched them with binoculars.
I could not find them initially, hence was asking locals if they had seen these monkeys. I was actually surprised by the answers I heard. Many, almost many replied they did not see this type of monkey in their vicinity. Many actually told they were here sometime back and might come again. You may wait here. I quickly understood they were referring to their famous cousins, Lion-Tailed macaques. It is only when I had showed them the photograph of Nilgiri Langur and pointed out the differences between Nilgiri Langur and LTM, then they gave an affirmation that they did not see them. Infact, it was a ten year old boy who responded at the very first question with “they are not here, they always stay a bit inside the forest and rarely come over here”. He knows the difference before I showed photographs and he was right, the day before as well I saw them a bit inside, only one or two came near the human settlement area.
The langur watching the movement of other monkeys in the troop.
Their activities continued to flash quite often that day. Especially their brownish red crown and their rapid pace hopping. In my entire time spent with them, not even once I had seen them coming down from trees to forage. Neither they had attacked the houses for food. Although leaves dominate in their diet, but the trees on which should be hopping, grooming, playing, mating and raising infants are disappearing due to habitat fragmentation, mining, hunting to name a few disasters that are responsible.
It is quite appalling to read that in this article that once these lunges were hunted for their meat. People believed its flesh in a broth or soup would cure asthma. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 has brought down curtains on this act.
I thank Dr. Honnavalli N. Kumara, Principal Scientist, SACON for his time in providing technical inputs on behaviour ecology.