Researchers and scientists discovered the existence of White-Cheeked Macaque (Macaca leucogenys) in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Siang district. These primates were not confirmed to exist in India till the recent remarkable discovery.
A group of researchers from the Zoological Survey of India has confirmed the existence of the primate in the West Siang district.
A significant discovery
The discovery of the White-Cheeked Macaque is significant in itself. The rare sighting has not been reported since it was first discovered in 2015 in Medog region in southeastern Tibet. The newest mammal species also enriches the flora and fauna of Arunachal Pradesh and marks a new addition to mammals of India.
White-Cheeked Macaque
White-Cheeked Macaques are different from other macaques found in the region. They have white cheeks, long and thick hairs on the neck area, and a longer tail. However, the animal is not yet included in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.
It lives in forest habitats, from tropical forests to primary and secondary evergreen broad-leaved forests and mixed broadleaf-conifer forests. The Macaque species was discovered when accidentally the scientists searching for red pandas and Arunachal Macaques in central Arunachal Pradesh collected faecal samples, which on DNA analysis ended up to be White-Cheeked Macaques. The study has been published in an international peer-reviewed journal ‘Animal Gene’.
In addition to White-Cheeked Macaques, other types include Arunachal macaque, Assamese Macaque (Macaca assamensis) and Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta). However, all the macaque species face the threats of poaching, deforestation, and increased human interference in their natural habitat.
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