Our guest this time is shy and shuns company but that doesn't mean he's a silent one as his name suggests… presenting the Lion-Tailed Macaque!
This monkey friend of mine also known as Macaca silenus is one of the smallest among the 15 macaque species found in the world. In India alone, there are eight species of macaques and this guy is special because he‘s on the Endangered Species list.
Very striking to look at, he has a cool glossy black coat with a long, dark grey or brownish grey hairs growing from the temples and cheeks to form a thick mane, much like a lion's. Further his tail which has shorter hairs ends in a tassel (again note the leonine likeness!)
A reclusive animal, his home is the dense forests south of the Western Ghats. Living in the dimly lit and thick rain forests, add to it the facts that he is shy in nature and black in colour, it is difficult to spot him easily on his home ground. Though you are more likely to hear him as the macaques like all monkeys are a noisy lot!
Want to know what's on his menu? Our friend is strictly not vegetarian. He eats fruits, berries, flowers, tender leaves, bark, roots, mushrooms, insects, eggs, caterpillars, lizards, snails, trees, and frogs, even baby birds. He tells me the animal-insect diet provides him the protein that the plant food doesn't.
Not one to waste time on food gathering, he has cheek pouches which open near the lower teeth and extend down to the sides of the neck. When expanded, these food bags can store as much his stomach can! When he descends from his leafy home to pick up food, he quickly stuffs his bags and eats what he can. Back home he eats off the bags at leisure. That way he is also safe from predators on ground. Smart guy, huh?
Lion-tailed macaques hang out in groups of 10 to 20, usually having one to three males, one of them being the head of family. Females never leave the group they were born into and stay on with mom while the males leave as adolescents to seek company elsewhere. Groups also have their own territory.
Arboreal (tree- top lifestyle) creatures, our friend and his tribe spend the day looking for food. But when crossing from tree to tree, they avoid jumping and descend to the ground and walk across in a single file to the next tree!
You‘ll be amazed at the way these guys actually communicate. They have 17 different vocal patterns to communicate besides body language and gestures.
The call to alert another group about their presence in an area is said to resemble a loud whooping noise sounding almost human. On hearing this, the other party will get the message and move away.
As for gestures, let me translate; a yawn with a grimace indicates dominance or a threat. A fear grimace (when you tell the other guy, okay, you are the boss) is when lips are pulled back exposing clenched teeth. Smack lips to say hello to fellow friend. So now you know basic lion- tailed lingua!
With the destruction of their habitat by man for coffee, teak, tea plantations, these reclusive creatures have lost their homes. Unlike other monkeys who couldn't care less about humans, the lion tailed macaques seldom show themselves, let alone share habitat with encroachers.
Then you have the poachers who hunt them for their skin and the meat which is believed to have medicinal properties. Earlier, a lot many were caught and put in zoos. Some were sold as pets or for research purposes. Now there are only about 2500 of these guys left in the wild today. Here's to more of them!
Mail to sherook@wildmail.com
A Children for Nature and Animals Unlimited Initiative (CANU)
