11 Primates Found In Northeast India

Northeast India is still one of the country's wildest, greenest, and most picturesque regions. It is also brimming with life forms of all kinds living across its many ecosystems. Northeast India is especially famous for its primate diversity, housing 11 of the 24 primate species found in the country. Here is a list of these 11 species. Make sure to travel to this part of India to tick off as many of these primates as possible from your list of species to see!

Capped Langur - Vulnerable

A capped langur female with a baby in the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Assam, India. Image credit: Krunal Desai - Wildlife Photography via Wikimedia Commons

A beautiful primate, the Trachypithecus pileatus is also another species whose distribution in India is limited to the Northeastern states. Outside India, it is found in Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and China.

The species is highly arboreal and diurnal. Its diet consists primarily of leaves of various plant species. It occurs in a variety of forests, including subtropical, broadleaved, and bamboo. Large-scale habitat loss threatens the capped langurs in India. Jhum cultivation, monoculture plantations, logging, etc., destroy their forests. The species is thus listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Assamese Macaque - Near Threatened

An Assamese macaque. Image credit: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons.

The Assamese macaque or Macaca assamensis is a Near-Threatened species found in the Himalayas, from Uttarakhand to Nepal, Bhutan, and the Northeast Indian states. Its eastern range stretches from Bangladesh to parts of China and Southeast Asia. The macaque lives at elevations between 200 m and 3,000 m. The species is omnivorous and diurnal. It prefers living in dense primary forests. It spends time on both trees and the ground. In northeast India, the major threats to the species are deforestation and hunting despite the species being protected by law. Some superstitious beliefs, like the use of the skulls of these monkeys as an "evil eye protector" in front of homes, have led to their killing by the locals.

Stump-tailed Macaque - Vulnerable

A stump-tailed macaque at the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Assam, India. Image credit: Rohit Naniwadekar via Wikimedia Commons

In India, this primate species, Macaca arctoides, is found only in the northeastern states. Its range extends eastwards into China and parts of Southeast Asia. Its elevation range is from 50 m to 2,800 m.

The stump-tailed macaque is an omnivore. It is a diurnal species that spends around 80% of its time feeding. It prefers living in dense tropical forests but can also adapt to living in secondary forests and forests near human habitation. It is known to be a good swimmer but prefers a terrestrial life.

In northeast India, jhum cultivation or slash-and-burn cultivation is a major threat to its habitat. Hunting is also another threat where the animal is treated as a pest and killed.

Northern Pig-tailed Macaque - Vulnerable

A northern pig-tailed macaque female with child. Image credit: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/), via Wikimedia Commons

A Vulnerable species, the Macaca leonina, is another species found in only the Northeast of India. Its range extends further east into Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, and parts of Southeast Asia. It inhabits elevations from 50 to 2,000 m. These monkeys feed on plant parts but are mainly frugivorous. They are highly arboreal and come down to the ground when crossing forest gaps or for foraging in crop fields. They inhabit tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Like the other species on this list, deforestation and hunting also threaten the northern pig-tailed macaque.

Arunachal Macaque - Endangered

Arunachal macaque on a camera trap in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. Image credit: Nandini Velho via Wikimedia Commons.

A newly described species, the Macaca munzala, is designated as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. It is believed to be endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in India. It occurs in a wide variety of habitats, including degraded broadleaf and scrub forests, farmlands, and conifer forests. It is found close to human habitations and seems relatively tolerant of humans. The major threats to this species are its limited distribution, persecution by humans, and loss of habitat. There are only about 200 to 250 mature individuals of this species.

White-cheeked Macaque - Endangered

A white-cheeked macaque peeping out from the trees in Walong, Arunachal Pradesh, India. Image credit: Dibyendu Ash via Wikimedia Commons

This primate species, Macaca leucogenys, also has a limited distribution. It is found in India and China. In India, it is found only in a small part of Arunachal Pradesh. It is found at elevations ranging from 1300 to 2,700 m. As per IUCN, it is found in tropical forests, evergreen broadleaved forests, and mixed broadleaved coniferous forests. Hunting and habitat loss due to jhum cultivation and cardamom plantations threaten the species in India. It is an Endangered species on the IUCN Red List.

Golden Langur - Endangered

Golden langur female and child in a forest in Assam. Image credit: Krunal Desai - Wildlife Photography via Wikimedia Commons.

This endangered primate, the Trachypithecus geei, is found only in Assam in northeastern India and parts of the neighbouring country of Bhutan. The species is found across various forest habitats in the region at elevations ranging from 50 to 3,000 m above sea level. It is an arboreal, diurnal, and folivorous animal. While much of its diet is composed of leaves, it also feeds on other plant parts. Loss of habitat is a significant threat, as in the case of all other species described on this list.. Some animals also die due to electrocution and feral dog attacks.

Phayre's Leaf Monkey - Endangered

A Phayre's leaf monkey in Tripura, India. Image credit: Kamrul via Wikimedia Commons.

Found in the Indian states of Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura, and neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar, the Trachypithecus phayrei. The primate lives in primary and secondary tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, and mixed deciduous forests at higher elevations. It is an arboreal and diurnal species. It primarily feeds on plant leaves. Loss of forests to tea estates, rubber plantations, monoculture, human settlements, etc., is a major threat. The species is also hunted for meat and its "gallstones" are used in traditional medical preparations. Due to low numbers and less widespread distribution, the Phayre's Leaf Monkey is designated as Endangered by the IUCN.

Bengal Slow Loris - Endangered

A Bengal slow loris with a baby. Image credit: Wikimedia.com.

The only venomous primate on this list, the Nycticebus bengalensis is unique in all regards. It is a nocturnal primate. It is an omnivore but feeds primarily on plant exudates like nectar. In India, it is found in only the Northeastern states, while its range extends further eastwards into Southeast Asia. It is found in evergreen, semi-evergreen, and mixed deciduous forests. The Bengal slow loris suffers from habitat destruction and hunting. It is hunted for the use of its body parts in traditional medicine and for meat.

Western Hoolock Gibbon - Endangered

A female hoolock gibbon in the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Assam, India. Image credit: Krunal Desai - Wildlife Photography via Wikimedia Commons.

The Hoolock hoolock is found in India's Assam and the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. It is regarded as India's only ape. It is a highly arboreal species that is found in forested habitats. It hardly comes down to the ground. Hence, deforestation is a major threat to the species. Its diet primarily consists of fruits and leaves.

The Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam near Jorhat is dedicated to conserving this species. However, despite the protection, the sanctuary itself is threatened by encroachment, a railway line cutting through it, and possible oil exploration in the area. 

Rhesus Macaque - Least Concern

A rhesus macaque. Image credit: Charlesjsharp via Wikimedia.com.

The only "Least Concern" species on this list, the Macaca mulatta has emerged quite unscathed from the dire forces that have endangered the lives of all the other primates featured here. It is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, numbering thousands. Its ability to adapt to living in human-dominated areas has allowed it to thrive. It is omnivorous in nature with a wide diet base ranging from fruits and leaves to garbage dumps and foods donated by people.