Miller's Grizzled Langue

One of the world’s most endangered species is a primate, the Miller’s grizzled langur. This species was speculated to be extinct, but were rediscovered by a student, Eric Fell, who was doing research in the protected Wehea Forest in east Kalimatan, Borneo in Indonesia. Fell showed study researcher Stephanie Spehar, a primatologist at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, who helped him to confirm this was the “extinct” animal he thought it was. The pictures that he obtained in his find were the first ever to be taken of the animal.

 

The forests that the monkeys were previously inhabited in were devastated by fires and illegal logging for the conversion of land for agriculture and mining. A survey showed that in 2005, not one specimen of this type was found. When Fell came across these monkeys, it was a very exciting time for many people. It shows that this could be happening with other “extinct” species as well, and that there is some hope that they may be hiding out. Although the grizzled langur still remains one of the worlds most endangered species (for obvious reasons), there are conservation efforts in effect and more research is expected to be done on this rare primate. This discovery is still fairly new, so there is lots of hope for this species and their return.

To learn more about this animal, visit one of the links below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/millers-grizzled-langur_n_1218602.html

http://www.livescience.com/18024-rare-monkey-rediscovered.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120183044.htm

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajp.21983/full